Donegal County Council meets today to discuss its draft budget, with officials seeking a 4.75% increase in the ARV which determines the level of commercial rates. Spending will increase by 8.2%.
In his introduction, Chief Executive John McLaughlin says the Draft Budget provides for expenditure of just over €200 million next year, and while it comes at a very challenging time, it also comes at a time of opportunity.
He says the budget will help drive the development of the county, and the wider North West Region.
The report highlights the impact on Donegal of Defective Concrete Blocks, and the need for a scheme to remediate the estimated 1,200 social homes affected in the county.
The draft budget for 2025 includes Commercial Rates income in the sum of just over €41,600,000.
In his commentary, Finance Director Richard Gibson says this is based on an Annual Rate on Valuation of 0.243, a 4.74% on the ARV for 2024.
He says a revaluation process which ended last year means that when rates bills were issued last year, two-thirds of Donegal businesses experienced a reduction in their Commercial Rates liability for 2024 as a result of the revaluation process.
Comparison of Income and Expenditure projections in 2025 versus 2024
