Property owners owe city $1.8b in taxes, M&CC faces cash shortfall

Dear Editor, The Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown is urging property owners who have to honour their obligation to the Council to do so urgently.

Our records show that one billion eight hundred and seventeen million four hundred thousand dollars are outstanding in property rates. Currently, the Council is experiencing financial shortfalls.

The wards that exhibits the highest level of delinquency are: Kingston with $95,584,495.00, outstanding, Queenstown owes $66,564,877.00, whilst North Cummingsburg, accrued a total of $80,869,878, South Cummingsburg $78,493,828, Stabroek $72,504,597, Bourda 32,367,138 and Thomas Lands 30,310,089.00.

The financial shortfall has affected the delivery of critical services to the citizens including, payment to contractors for garbage collection. Rate payers who have outstanding amounts from the previous year can utilize a payment plan, which would allow rate payers to pay 1/3 of the outstanding amount owed and the remainder in six equal instalments. Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 section 209 states;

(1)”The owner of a property shall be liable for the payment of rates levied thereon”.

(2) ”The person whose name appears in the valuation list shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed to be the owner of the property listed against his name until the contrary is proved to the satisfaction of the council”. Section 213 states; (1) “The rates due in respect of a general rate shall be payable in four equal installments which shall become due to the first day of February or on the day of service of the demand note, whichever day is later, the first day of April, the first day of July and the first day of October”.

(2) “the rates due in respect of supplementary rate shall be payable in two equal installments which shall become due on the first day of July or on service of the demand note, whichever day is the later and the first day of October”.

General rates is one of the main sources of income for the Georgetown Municipality. The level of delinquency is higher than 2017. Shortly, the City’s the administration will be publishing the names and addresses of property owners who have been consistently delinquent. Yours faithfully, Debra Lewis Public Relations Officer