DA
questions the Mayor on the impact of tax increases
on rate payers
The DA in the Mbombela Council have questioned the
Mayor of the Mbombela Local
Municipality Cllr Sibusiso Mathonsi, asking
him to indicate to council the impact that the recent increase in municipal
rates and taxes has had on rate payers.
The Mayor must indicate the increase in rand value
that the average household and business are paying more since the inception of new increases on the 1st of July.
This question comes after DA Councillors received
numerous complaints from residents and small businesses indicating dramatic increases in their monthly rates and taxes to
the Municipality.
The largest
contributing factor seems to be the
municipality’s valuation roll. Property values re-assessed for the period
2014-2018.
In some instances property value has increased with
100% or more resulting in an automatic increase in property tax to the municipality.
Furthermore, municipal rates have increased with an
average 7.8% for the 2014/2015 financial year. Small businesses are suffering from a negative impact on their
profitability, and this coming during an already tough
economic climate. Cash strapped households who are already struggling to manage
their budgets, and adversely affected by the increases.
DA Councillors expect the Mayor to clarify what the
impact is that the increase in rates and tariffs has had on rate payers and whether these increases are realistic. 884
residential households, 221 commercial properties and
78 agricultural properties put forward official queries to the Mbombela Local Municipality
The DA is concerned that rate payers taken for
granted and expected to accept the increases whilst not receiving valued service delivery in return. The DA in Council
will keep putting pressure on the Mayor to ensure that
the Mbombela Municipality
expenditure must be stopped.
The DA will insist that the revenue base of the Mbombela Local Municipality
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