Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is preparing to set its budget for the 2026/27 financial year, a decision that will determine the district rate paid by households and businesses across the area.
The district rate, which makes up half of household rates bill and is set by local councils, has been continually rising in recent years, with a 3.76 per-cent increase last year, and a 4.72 per-cent rise the previous year.
The budget will be considered at a Special Council meeting on Thursday, February 12, at 7pm in the Grange, Omagh, with the meeting also being live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel.
In a statment issued this afternoon, Council officials said significant work had been carried out in recent months to develop a budget that continues to fund essential local services and deliver a substantial capital programme, while also seeking to minimise the financial impact on ratepayers during an ongoing period of economic uncertainty.
The statement in full:
Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is preparing to agree its budget for the 2026/27 financial year at a Special Council meeting on Thursday 12 February 2026 in the Grange, Omagh. The setting of the budget will determine the District Rate for residents and businesses.
Over the past year the Council has delivered high quality services, supported communities and enabled investment across the District through prudent financial management in an ongoing challenging and uncertain economic environment.
Significant work has been undertaken in recent months to prepare a budget that continues to fund key local services and deliver a substantial capital programme to improve the District, strengthen communities and enhance residents’ wellbeing, while also working to minimise the financial cost to ratepayers.
The Council receives approximately 45% of the total Rates bill, which is issued by Land and Property Services to householders and businesses. The remaining 55% of the Rates is paid to the Northern Ireland Executive to support central government services including health, roads and education.
In the last financial year, funding raised by the District Rate enabled the Council to:
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- Invest almost £7.5 million in capital projects to improve facilities and infrastructure across the District
- Support more than 650 people through the Western Response and Action on Poverty Programme
- Through Council-funded advice services, secure over £2 million in additional financial support for local people through Council funded benefits advice and related assistance
- Support the development of 226 business plans, assist 184 businesses through mentoring and award more than £490,000 for business applications to the Go Succeed Grow Programme
- Support more than 7,300 people to take part in environmental activities and events
- Operate more than 80 Council vehicles on Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) to reduce our carbon footprint
- Develop 28 Community Wellbeing Plans in partnership with local groups across the District, with more than 260 activities delivered through the plans for community benefit
- Award over £339,000 in grants and bursaries to voluntary clubs, societies, community, sporting organisations and individuals
- Deliver a sustainable waste management service for our 116,000 residents
- Invest more than £2.2m in upgrading 25 play parks across the District as part of the Play Park Strategy 2030; and
- Deliver a summer scheme with more than 4,500 young participants
The Council continued to improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the District through a number of initiatives. These included allocating £1 million through its Strategic Capital Projects Grant Programme 2025/2026 to eight community and voluntary organisations to support a range of capital projects that promote regeneration and community development across the District, as well as ongoing investment in Council leisure, waste and recycling facilities, play parks and various enhancement works in towns and villages.
In addition, the Council rolled out programmes aimed at addressing violence against women and girls as part of a whole of society and whole of government approach under the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG) Strategic Framework, which focuses on tackling the underlying causes of violence, abuse and harm against women and girls. It also hosted a major housing conference which brought together key voices from government, housing, infrastructure and community sectors to address the urgent issue of housing supply and need in the Council area and developed and launched the Heritage Plan 2030 to promote, protect and celebrate the District’s unique heritage; the Age and Access Friendly Charter to help local businesses, community venues and public services become more inclusive and accessible for everyone; and the Council’s Annual Performance Improvement Plan 2025-2026 which sets out the Council’s priorities focusing on economic growth, community wellbeing, environmental responsibility and enhanced access to public services.
The 2026/27 budget will be considered by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council at a Special Council Meeting on 12 February 2026 at 7pm in the Grange, Omagh. The meeting will be live streamed on the Council’s YouTube channel.
