Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council
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Manager’s Foreword<br />
Due to the budgetary constraints it will be necessary to cut back severely on costs as well as to control<br />
expenditure on staff. This strategy has been included in every Division in the Draft <strong>Budget</strong> and will be<br />
effected through reductions in staff numbers, reductions in staff travelling expenses and allowances,<br />
reductions in overtime, strict controls on recruitment, and cost savings on external supplies amongst<br />
other things. The student employment scheme will not be operated in <strong>2009</strong>.<br />
The Central Government allocations for road expenditure have not yet been notified to Local Authorities.<br />
As with previous years an amount equivalent to the allocation for 2008 has been included in the Draft<br />
<strong>Budget</strong>. In the same way as last year the figures will be adjusted when notification is received of the<br />
road grants for <strong>2009</strong> and the Roadworks Scheme will be prepared in the usual manner and placed<br />
before you for your consideration.<br />
It is always important to endeavour to maintain <strong>Roscommon</strong> Co <strong>Council</strong>’s own allocation in to the<br />
Roads Programme. This is necessary not only in consideration of corresponding investment on the<br />
part of Central Government but also in the knowledge that failure to invest in the local road network in<br />
any one year will have a knock on effect in years to come and manifest itself in pavement disintegration<br />
in a short period of years. This year I am proposing that the input from our own resources in to the<br />
maintenance of Local Roads will be €2,299,000. This represents a marginal increase of €57,000 on the<br />
2008 figure. It is also proposed to continue the practice of recent years of allocating a sum from<br />
development contributions to footpath and public lighting installation as well as minor realignments in<br />
each Engineering Area. The amount proposed to be assigned for these categories of work in <strong>2009</strong> is<br />
€1,327,000.<br />
Furthermore it is proposed in <strong>2009</strong> to introduce a system of paid parking in <strong>Roscommon</strong> Town. It is<br />
also intended to extend this to other Towns in coming years. This will ensure better availability of prime<br />
parking spaces for shop and other business customers. The introduction requires a number of steps<br />
including public consultation and the process is a reserved function for the elected members. The<br />
budget includes for an income of €300,000 in <strong>2009</strong> from this source but this will be required for the<br />
considerable capital works involved in providing the infrastructure.<br />
Because of the stringent cutbacks that will pertain in <strong>2009</strong> reduced levels of service will be evident<br />
during the year although these will be kept to back office functions in so far as practicable. Nonetheless<br />
front line services will also suffer to some degree. However with the tradition of staff commitment that<br />
pertains in <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> every effort will be made to ensure that the effects are<br />
minimised.<br />
<strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> will continue its commitment to the principles of organisational change for<br />
the better, innovation and enhanced value for money in <strong>2009</strong>. In some ways the changed financial<br />
environment will impose its own pressures for better work practices and outputs. It is intended that a<br />
Business Process Review of the Water Services Section of the Organisation will be undertaken and it<br />
is hoped that this will yield efficiencies.<br />
In line with the Government Water Pricing Policy <strong>Roscommon</strong> Co Co has continued the roll out of the<br />
billing for water based on metering of all non-domestic water supplied through and disposed of through<br />
public schemes. The metering is now more comprehensive and as such provides a better knowledge<br />
of the amount of water being used and discharged. The charges that will apply in <strong>2009</strong> will be 92 cent<br />
4 <strong>Roscommon</strong> <strong>County</strong> <strong>Council</strong> | Comhairle Chontae Ros Comain | Adopted <strong>Budget</strong> <strong>2009</strong> | For year ended 31st December <strong>2009</strong>