City Hall should control its destiny

Sep 08, 2009 Editorial

Last week there appeared to be some glee from people commenting on the inability of City Hall to pay wages and salaries. This must have been the fourth time this year that this has happened and it is a wonder that people still seek employment with that entity.
City Hall needs its cleansing crews without which none of us would recognise the capital; people would be forced to walk around with towels across their noses and the Georgetown Public Hospital, the country’s largest referral facility, would not be able to cope with those seeking treatment for various ailments, all of which would be due to environmental occurrences.
But the story does not end there. The municipal abattoir is the prime source of meat sold in the city. If they strike there are two possibilities; the supply of meat would drop drastically unless people either become vegetarians or rely almost exclusively on fish and chicken. But then again, there would not be anyone to inspect the meat.
Why should the city council be in this predicament? There are accusations flowing back and forth. The municipal fathers say that they are hamstrung in their efforts to garner enough funds to manage their affairs.
They say that they are not allowed to hike taxes despite inflation and rising cost of living that has seen increases in wages and salaries. City Hall must pay these increased wages from what is now a seeming disappearing revenue base.
At the same time, because of an absence of enforcement and an abundance of mother’s milk from the bosom of City Hall, people are increasingly refusing to pay their taxes. City Hall refuses to make them pay by declining to move against the property.
The municipal fathers may have a point about the dilatory nature of the courts. This is indeed a bugbear which must be addressed if not in the interest of City Hall, surely in the interest of the wider society. However, this should not be a deterrent.
President Bharrat Jagdeo declared that if the council were to manage its affairs in a prudent manner then there would be more than enough money.
The president may be right. If City Hall secures one hundred per cent revenue collection then it should have more than enough money to execute its duties.
The government is the largest contributor to the tax base by virtue of the numerous offices, but there are non-government agencies such as Guyana Water Incorporated and Guyana Power and Light who must be made to pay their fair share of taxes. The council cannot collect either because of slackness on the part of the finance department or because the staff members do not know how to go about their duties.
In most countries, cities are autonomous and the mayor is the kingpin. Indeed, it is an elected office, but the mayor identifies the revenue base and his team is expected to pursue what is on the budgetary agenda.
There is a city tax on homes, business and even on purchases. In return, the city is responsible for every infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
New York, for example, has not been reticent in closing schools and hospitals where these appeared to be a drain on the revenue. Poor roads can attract lawsuits against the city if there is damage to vehicles or injury to pedestrians. And the awards are substantial. It therefore pays to maintain these roads in tip top shape.
City Hall does not control schools and hospitals but it is responsible for garbage disposal and road maintenance. A recent investigation into the all-round operations of the council found that there was poor record-keeping and systems that allowed for fraud. However, any fraud would have involved minuscule amounts compared to any public entity.
Yet, City Hall has a duty to go after monies due to it. Use the courts, regardless of how dilatory these are; seize properties regardless of the milk of human kindness that flows through the veins. These actions may lead to a change in its fortunes.

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