Annual Budget 2009 - Roscommon County Council

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