Dublin city councillors have accused the city manager of "bullying" and "taking a hardline stance" in pushing through a budget which includes a 29 per cent increase in bin charges.
Councillors refused to ratify his book of draft estimates presented at a budget meeting on Monday. Included is a proposal to increase waste-management charges for householders from €121 to €156.
Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin councillors and the three independent councillors indicated they would vote against it. Fianna Fáil did not indicate how it would vote; however party spokesman Mr Michael Donnelly said the "basic thrust of the estimates was fine".
The councillors have agreed to adjourn the vote until December 23rd. If they do not ratify the budget as it stands or with amendments the city manager consider's realistic by then, they will be given until December 29th. Failure to accept it then could result in the dissolution of the council and a commissioner being appointed.
"It was clear there was not a hope in hell of this budget being passed," Mr Joe Costello (Lab) said yesterday. "I think the city manager is playing hardball and he is certainly bullying the council."
Mr Tony Gregory (Ind) said: "He has not shown any flexibility at all and unless the manager changes his hardline stance, we won't get an agreement."
Mr Fitzgerald said it was regrettable that a budget of €600 million should be dominated "by such a relatively minor issue as the waste management charge".
