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RATEPAYERS in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area will have to pay an extra 1.96 per-cent in their rates during the coming year.
Local councillors agreed with the increase when they met at The Grange in Omagh tonight.
The increase, which is among the lowest in the north, was passed on a vote by 28 who were in favour and six against.
It is estimated that the rise will equate to £10 more for domestic raterpaters with properties with a net average value of £115,000.
But there were some heated exchanges during a debate on the rise. Both the SDLP and Ulster Unionist party objected to the increase. There were calls for a zero per-cent no-change in the amount paid by local people.
However, Sinn Fein politicians said that the rise protected the jobs of Council staff and would enable services such as waste management to be enhanced and improved.
