Businesses in Co Leitrim could be set for a 5 per cent increase in commercial rates next year. Leitrim County Council is proposing the rise, and a final decision will be made by councillors next week. The councils budget 2025 meeting takes place next Monday, when councillors and management will discuss the expenditure plan. The local authority will have over €60.1 million to spend next year, an increase of €7.5 million on 2024.
The budget includes an extra €4 million in grants to refurbish vacant and derelict homes. The council says this will revitalise rural areas and villages in the county. The local authority will also prioritise increasing its housing stock by buying new houses and upgrading existing homes to bring them back into use. A source of controversy for under-pressure businesses, however, will be the proposal to increase commercial rates by 5 per cent next year. This would be the biggest increase in six years.
The council says the money would be used to deliver key infrastructure and public realm projects around the county. Councillors will decide whether to give the increase the go-ahead next Monday.
