by Gareth Cross
Local councillors this week hit out at a decision by senior civil servants to refuse a meeting over budget cuts.
Councillors have now agreed to request a meeting with the Secretary of State James Brokenshire to discuss the cuts.
Earlier this year councillors were told that 4% would be cut from the council's Rates Support Grant from central government.
Council, along with the six other impacted councils in the North then decided to write letters to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, The Head of the Northern Ireland Service, and the Permanent Secretaries of the Department of Finance and Department for Communities, requesting an urgent meeting to demonstrate the impact that cuts to this grant would have.
Councillors were told that not only had the request been declined but that departments had been asked to provide information on the potential impacts of further overall budget reductions of 4%, 8% and 12% in the next 2 financial years.
The Rates Support Grant supports various community services across the council area.
Sinn Fein councillor Brian McMahon said it was 'shocking' that the meeting had been turned down.
Cllr McMahon told the meeting that 'civil servants should not be allowed to ignore a democratically elected body'.
SDLP councillor John Boyle said that 'we should be very, very concerned about the cumulative impact of these cuts over the next two years'.
He said that civil servants should not have refused to meet council and that the current political impasse could not be ignored.
Cllr Boyle called on parties involved in the negotiations to make an agreement 'work and stick'.
UUP councillor Derek Hussey said the conversation was giving him a case of 'deja vu'.
'Disgraceful'
Alderman Hussey said he had been serving on council since 1989 and remembered serving as opposition against government decisions in the past during periods of direct rule.
He called the decision to refuse the meeting 'disgraceful' and 'a slight on elected representatives doing their jobs'.
Alderman Hussey said council should request a meeting with the Secretary of State to discuss the issues.
Sinn Fein councillor Mickey Cooper said council should continue to work with the other affected councils through collective lobbying.
Cllr Boyle said he was happy to work with the other councils but that Derry was the North's second city and 'deserves our place at the top of the table'.
He told the meeting that council represented the city and wider region expanding into cross-border areas and should be treated with respect.
Cllr Boyle said that he couldn't help feel that the city was 'once again being treated like second class citizens'.
He said that he and his party colleagues would 'not accept it any longer'.
Independent councillor Gary Donnelly said he was 'not surprised at the decision' as Derry had always been treated as second best.
He called on council to refuse to set rates to 'send a real message'.
Alderman Hussey again suggested council seek a meeting with the Secretary of State and this proposal was accepted.
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