Households face average rates increase of £11.63

HOMEOWNERS in the Omagh area are set to pay an extra £11.63 in the coming year following a 1.2 per-cent increase in the domestic rate.

Councillors in Fermanagh and Omagh met tonight to set the rate for the 2022/2023 financial year.

They also agreed a 1.2 per-cent rise in the non-domestic rate, which will put an additional £30 on the bill for businesses or non-domestic properties.

FODC will be the third of the three covering Tyrone to set their rates for the incoming year. Mid-Ulster has earmarked net expenditure of £49m for the coming year, requiring a domestic rates rise of 1.69 per-cent and a non-domestic increase of 1.82 per-cent.

Strabane and Derry councillors met on Friday to set their rate. They agreed a District Rates increase of 3.44 per-cent for all ratepayers. This rates increase, when coupled with a regional rates freeze, will see overall rates bills increase by 1.81 per-cent.

Elected members attending the meeting were informed that their decision would mean the average domestic district rates bill of £493.88 will increase by £16.97 per annum or 33p per week.

Councillors in Fermanagh and Omagh have been told that its income levels are now back to between 90 per-cent and 100 per-cent of pre-pandemic levels.

FODC is also embarking on what it describes as an ‘ambitious capital programme’ which will see a total investment across the district of some £100 million over the next five years.

“Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will continue to make use of available financial reserves so that key services and projects can be delivered at an affordable level,” a spokesperson said.

“This will, in turn, minimise the impact of the District Rate on ratepayers in the current challenging financial climate in the coming year with the aim of ensuring any rate increases are well below current inflation rates.”

The council has highlighted waste disposal (where landfill tax is increasing by £2.70 per tonne in the coming year), the cost of recycling, increased wages and the additional cost of fuel, which is estimated at £100,000, as ‘factors of uncertainty’.

But it has set aside approximately £5 million in reserves to deal with any unexpected increases associated with its services, and the capital programme.

The meeting can be viewed live on the council’s Youtube channel.