The Manxonia building is a ’millstone’ for Port St Mary residents, there are concerns over the financial management of the village and full support for it to merge with anther authority.

These views were expressed at a surgery attended by 20 members of the public convened by Port St Mary commissioners Michelle Haywood and Andy Phair.

The purchase of Manxonia House was the first issue raised.

One village resident suggested it had landed ratepayers with a ’millstone’ and was a ’vanity project’.

Another said it was a ’punitive way of removing an eyesore - staggering’. They added its ’earning capacity is hardly enough to cover the loan costs’.

The commissioners, neither of whom were on the board when the Manxonia project began, revealed the building’s refurbishment is estimated to cost £102,000.

They said: ’It is intended to bring it back into use, it is a gateway building on the high street.’

Mr Phair accepted that the Manxonia purchase was ’possibly’ one of the main reasons for this year’s 5.2% rate rise - but one villager insisted that this was definitely the case.

Ms Haywood promised there would be a consultation about what happens to Manxonia House.

But one ratepayer suggested: ’Surely the time to consult was before it was bought?’

Ms Haywood said that commercial sensitivity meant it was ’kept quiet’. It could be sold ’so it is not a constant tick on the rates’, she added.

But a resident said: ’Don’t you think commissioners need to take advice? People are going off on their own tangent. These decisions should go to an open meeting. It’s our money.’

A ratepayer said the accounts showed ’poor financial planning’. ’In my world you would call for heads to roll,’ they said. ’There is no accountability. If you had your finger on the pulse you would not buy Manxonia.’

Another queried the ’spectacular increase in costs’ - Marashen Crescent recharge up by 33%, office expenses, property expenditure up by 45%, sundry miscellaneous stores by 56%, town hall costs from £5,000 to £8,000, and no statement about why rates have gone up 5.2%.

’A spectacular increase in costs causes a degree of suspicion about financial management and visibility and transparency. Some of these are very big,’ they said.

Ms Haywood accepted people wanted more information. ’We will push to try to get more out,’ she promised.

The rate was driven up by the increase in refuse disposal costs and salary rises are ’set by government’, she explained.

All those present at the meeting supported the idea that Port St Mary should merge with another authority. ’The savings would be huge,’ said Mr Phair.

Ms Haywood said they would continue to scrutinise the budget. ’We are not trying to be secretive,’ she said.

One ratepayer queried what happened to the £70,000 surplus from last year’s accounts.

Ms Haywood explained there had been additional costs such as repairs to the lift at the town hall, vehicles and an election.

Mr Phair said one of the reasons he became a commissioner was there was ’so little information coming out and how difficult it is to get.’

Ms Haywood and Mr Phair will hold a follow up meeting in a few weeks’ time.