A SPECIAL ARTICLE BY DAN WALSH

On Thursday last, Enniscorthy Chamber of Commerce facilitated a public meeting between Wexford County Council and the local business community to discuss the effects of commercial rates harmonisation and the imminent revaluation of commercial rates on Wexford’s towns.
The current rateable valuation for Wexford is €34 million, or €73.67 in the €, based on a system introduced in 1838, but benchmarking becomes the norm from January 2019 and there is little comfort from what may be coming down the tracks. The county was last valued in 1983.
The rates were €55.47 for New Ross; €65.13 in Enniscorthy; €67.66 in Wexford Borough and the county rate (which included Gorey) was highest at €71.52.
A Government act then mooted harmonisation which was due to be introduced over a maximum of 10 years, however, Wexford’s councillors agreed to fast track the plan and implement harmonisation over three years.
Also at the budget meeting in November 2017, councillors agreed to a 3% increase on the county rate and it increased from €71.52 to €73.67 which is the current rate.

Most affected are expected to be service sector, hotels, nursing homes, quarries and town centre licensed premises. It is anticipated that 40% of rate payers will will endure an increase and 60% will face a decrease.
It looks like the business community and the chambers who supported the idea at the time were chasing the shadows of incentive and and got a whiff of future security, while the elected members felt it was a good idea to side with the establishment, but with local elections next year and new valuation figures tipping the scales, it looks like the horse has bolted!
On October 6th, 2017, John O’Sullivan, Commissioner of Valuation, signed the Valuation Order for rating authority area of Wexford County Council, which marked the formal commencement of the revaluation of all commercial and industrial property in the county.
The revaluation of Wexford is part of a national programme to modernise the rateable valuation of all commercial and industrial property in Ireland.

Enniscorthy and the River Slaney in the hottest July for nearly half a century.

The purpose of revaluation is to bring increased transparency and more equity to the local authority rating system.
The Valuation Office is the State property valuation agency responsible for the valuation of all commercial property for the purposes of the levying of commercial rates by local authorities.
Commercial rates are an annual charge on commercial property to pay for the general provision of services of local authorities. Commercial rates are payable on commercial, industrial and some other non-domestic properties.
Local authorities calculate commercial rates liabilities on the basis of valuations provided to them by the Valuation Office.
The Valuation Office is now, as part of the ongoing national revaluation programme, commencing the revaluation of all rateable properties in Wexford County Council local authority area.
Following revaluation, the new valuations will be based on rental values at the valuation date of September 15th 2017 and will be used as the basis for levying rates from 2020 onwards.
The valuation of a property is multiplied by what is known as the ‘Annual Rate on Valuation’ to give the amount of commercial rates payable per annum.
The purpose of a revaluation is to bring more equity, uniformity, fairness and transparency into the local authority rating system.
Following revaluation there will be a much closer relationship between the rental value or valuation of a property and its commercial rates liability. The new valuations will be published in September 2019 and come into effect for rating purposes from 2020.