Finance

The Finance Department is involved in all the activities of the Borough Council in the exercise of its finance function. These are covered in eight programme groups as follows:

Housing and Building

Management and provision of Local Authority housing assistance to persons housing themselves or improving their houses; emergency housing; enforcement of certain housing standards and controls; provision of community centres, etc.

Roads, Transportation and Safety

Road upkeep and improvement; public lighting; traffic management facilities; safety education; car parks etc.

Water Supply and Sewage

Public water supply and sewage schemes; public conveniences (APCs) etc.

Development Incentives and Controls

Physical planning policy; control of new development and buildings; promotion of industrial and other development; tourist promotion; assistance to residents’ associations; town twinning etc.

Environmental Protection

Waste collection and disposal; street cleaning; burial grounds; dangerous buildings and places; water safety; pollution control etc.

Recreation and Amenity

Swimming pool; caravan park; open spaces; derelict site control; conservation and improvement of amenities; assistance to amenity groups and grants for cultural activities etc

Recreation; Education, Health and Welfare

Contributions to Vocational Education Committee; school meals, Services of an educational nature etc.

Miscellaneous Services

Financial management and rate collection; materials and machinery; elections; markets; corporate estate services for the Borough Council.

The Finance Department co-ordinates the preparation of the Book of Estimates for the consideration of the Borough Council and also presents the end-of-year accounts to the Minister for the Environment for audit. Expenditure and income is monitored on an ongoing basis.

Expenditure

The Borough Council’s expenditure is divided into two categories - Revenue and Capital.

Revenue

Revenue expenditure is that incurred in the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the various services, i.e., housing, roads, water and so on. Such expenditure is usually of a recurring nature. Revenue expenditure is met from rates, state grants, and miscellaneous receipts accruing from such items as housing rents and other charges for goods and services.

Capital

Capital expenditure may be described as that which is incurred in the creation of fixed assets such as housing schemes, roads, water supply and sewage schemes. It is usually financed by grants from the Exchequer and may also be supplemented from receipts of a capital nature derived from the disposal of assets or from raising loans.