AS WE enter into February, another rates hike is likely to be on the agenda in the local council area in line with those expected all across the North.
The economic impact brought on by Covid-19 is being blamed for rates increases as councils wrestle with how to maintain services despite some losing up to 75% of their income during the lockdowns.
Fermanagh and Omagh District Councillors will take a confidential vote in the chamber on rates this month. Until then, it is not known if businesses or households will be expected to pay for the loss of local authority revenue caused by the pandemic.
Last year, the Council voted to raise rates by 2.79% and that was without the difficulties brought on by a global pandemic. This year, revenues which are normally taken in from things like car parking and leisure centre fees are all but gone. Up to 75% of revenue for local authorities is usually made up of domestic and commercial rates but this year, they are also greatly diminished following four and 12-month rates holiday for businesses which were introduced as an emergency response to the pandemic at the start of the first lockdown.
If the Council does not increase rates then services like arts and community centres, grass-cutting and sports programmes will suffer and other essential services will have to absorb cutbacks.
Councillors also have to balance safeguarding their employee’s jobs with the needs of the council area and maintaining services. The Fermanagh Herald has already reported that hundreds of Council staff furloughed during the lockdowns receive 100 percent of their pay and any Council staff who continued working throughout the pandemic are to be given a “recognition payment.”
Speaking to the Fermanagh Herald, UUP Councillor Robert Irvine, reiterated that any discussion around rates was to remain confidential until it comes before the chamber for debate in a special meeting later in the month. However, he admitted that the Council “faced slightly more pressures than last year.”
“We have to appreciate people are in trouble,” he continued, “The climate has dramatically changed. We can assure people that we will be looking at the short-term needs and long-term future. I would say this is not the time to bring increases about but it has to be voted on.”
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