By Conor Sharkey

STRABANE Council has unanimously backed a call for the Stormont Executive to foot the bill for the 2011 amalgamation with Derry.

At a meeting of Council on Tuesday, the SDLP's Eugene McMenamin called for a solid commitment from the Ministers with responsibility for funding the Review of Public Administration, namely Edwin Poots and Sammy Wilson, that central government will meet the costs for local government reform and not ratepayers.

The current thinking within Stormont is that the changeover will be funded via a central government loan which local authorities will have to pay back by a further levy on the ratepayers.

Councillor Mc Menamin told the Chamber however that this is the last thing the public need, particularly in the current climate.

"This is a serious issue and we need to get it right. In the next 18 months Strabane and Derry will be one council. Now is the time to put pressure on the Ministers. I am pleased the motion gained unanimous support and the message goes back to their respective colleagues in the Assembly," Mr McMenamin added.

Sinn Féin's Jarlath McNulty said he hoped the Strabane Council motion would be heeded by government Ministers.

"It's right that the ratepayers should not be held responsible for the cost of the Review of Public Administration and it's only right that Mr McMenamin's motion was passed unanimously.

"I only hope it doesn't fall on deaf ears," Mr McNulty added.