Kerry County Council has adopted a nearly quarter of a billion-euro budget for 2026.
Yesterday, councillors approved the budget increase of almost 10% on 2025.
Despite this, the council decided keep commercial rates the same next year, as they were this year, in light of difficult trading conditions at present.
In total, the €248 million budget will finance Kerry County Council’s over 1,000 local authority services.
Nearly 70 million euro (€68.7 million) will be spent on the overall housing and building budget.
This includes an allocation for new housing stock as well as addressing vacant units and implementing a programme of planned maintenance for social housing.
Nearly 60 million euro (€59.6 million) is for road transport and safety.
A targeted three-year capital investment budget of €772 million, with potential for further investment, will continue into 2026
These infrastructural projects including roads and transportation, the development of the Kingdom of Kerry Greenways, active travel programmes, tourism initiatives, and the masterplans for several towns and municipal districts.
Commercial rates are expected to pay for almost 22% of the council's 2026 expenditure.
Although rates will be frozen at 2025 levels, council management pledged to work with ratepayers concerned about the impact rates demands may have on their businesses.
A large number of appeals to the reevaluation process by Kerry ratepayers are still being assessed.
