Chamber Appeals to Local Authority to support the provision of Christmas Lights
Following a meeting of representatives from the Town’s business community held in the Glasshouse Hotel on Wednesday evening (30th Oct) the President of Sligo Chamber, Trevor McDaid issued a public appeal to Sligo Borough Council to assist in the provision of Christmas Lights. “I am appealing to the local authority to provide the urgent and necessary assistance in order that the people of Sligo can enjoy Christmas Lights in their town this Christmas” Mr McDaid said.
For the past number of years, it has been practice that Sligo Chamber has taken responsibility for the erection, maintenance, electricity supply and storage of Christmas lights in Sligo Town. This practice developed to the point in recent years where the Chamber would incur the total cost for the erection of lights and associated expenditure and would retrospectively invoice Sligo Borough Council for the cost providing a certified breakdown of expenditure in each case. The cost of Christmas lights in 2012-2013 was €40,496.
Since May of this year, Sligo Chamber has been actively attempting to secure monies from the Borough Council in respect of Christmas Lights 2012-2013 and to get assurances from the Borough Council that monies would be available to support the installation of lights for 2013-2014.
The Chamber has not received any monies in respect of 2012-2013 expenditure to date nor has it received any assurance from Sligo Borough Council that any monies will be made available in 2014 to cover 2013-2014 expenditure.
“At a time when business generally, and the retail sector in particular, needs all the support that it can get from Government at both a national and local level, I appeal to Sligo Borough Council to work with its ratepayers in the provision of Christmas Lights for the people of Sligo” Mr McDaid concluded.
Members of the business community are to meet again in the Glasshouse Hotel on Tuesday 5th November at 6.30pm to assess progress on the issue.