Mid Tyrone Cllr McGrath ‘Rates increase will hurt worst off’

SDLP Mid Tyrone councillor Bernard McGrath has said that a rates increase for the Fermanagh and Omagh council area will hurt families in the midst of a cost of living crisis.

He was speaking after councillors on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council agreed to a 4.72% rates increase on Thursday night. The SDLP and the UUP voted against the increase.

Councillor McGrath said, “At a time when so many families in this council area and right across the North are struggling to pay their bills, put food on the table and petrol in their cars, the SDLP could not in good conscience support a rates increase that would heap further misery on those who can least afford it.

“This increase comes at a time where many ratepayers are already frustrated at the quality of services provided by the council. I am regularly contacted by constituents who can’t even get their bins collected regularly, how can we justify increasing charges for people when we cannot even get the basics right?

“I understand that a lack of support from Stormont and continued cuts to the Rates Support Grant have made the financial outlook difficult, but that’s all the more reason that councillors should be standing up for the people they represent and resisting further financial pressure being put on them. That’s what the SDLP did in council and it’s disappointing that others didn’t follow suit.”

Cllr McGrath added, “Every day we are reminded of the difficulties facing families in our communities. We have seen workers repeatedly forced onto picket lines just to secure a fair and long overdue payrise, people are being left with no choice but to seek private healthcare treatment or face years on waiting lists and our schools are struggling in the face of repeated budget cuts.

“At a time like this people expect more from their councillors than simply waving through a rates increase. Last year we saw a large increase passed on to ratepayers and here we are again a year later, this is not sustainable for the council or the public. The SDLP wants to see people in this area get the best services and facilities possible, we want this council to deliver on the issues impacting families here, but we cannot do that by adding additional costs to household budgets that are already stretched to the limit.”