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Full revaluation of all GT properties by year end – Town Clerk
While lamenting that little has changed in respect to the broadening of City Council’s revenue base since the 90’s, Town Clerk, Royston King indicated that very soon, there is to be a holistic revaluation of all properties located in Georgetown.
Town Clerk, Royston King
King made this announcement when he hosted a press conference yesterday at City Hall.
The Town Clerk described as “unimaginable,” the fact that there have been no valuation of properties in the capital City for over 20 years.
King said that City Hall is currently working with the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, to get the revaluation process underway. In fact, King said that it was Bulkan who initiated the project.
The Town Clerk said that the Minister is currently in discussion with a Canadian firm for the sake of the project. “He is talking to them about doing a reassessment of properties in the City of Georgetown and reforming the tax regime in Georgetown as well.” King supposed that the reformation of local tax regime may indeed spread across the nation.
“So we are working along with the Minister on that. We are doing a pilot, providing information on properties in certain areas to the Minister and we are hoping that the reassessment of all properties will happen by the end of the year,” said King.
He continued, “This will indeed happen by the end of the year but we can no longer continue to provide certain services with the same money that we have been collecting over 20 years.” He said if citizens are to consider that single fact they will begin to better understand why the council is where it is in respect to finances.
King said that the City Council is under financial pressure. He said that it is trying hard to keep its head above water through several initiatives.
Speaking to some of the measures taken to alleviate the financial worries, King noted that the Council decided to separate the property taxes from the fees that have to be paid by businesses to collect garbage in commercial areas.
Another initiative that King spoke about is the ticketing system which he says the council is soon to either approve or disapprove. The ticketing system, according to King, is a project that will see litter bugs being charged and fined immediately. “We do not have to wait on the courts.” King said that if that system is implemented, the generated revenue will be quite useful for the council.
“It will do two things: give council the financial capacity to police the littering bylaws and environment, and serve as a deterrent to those litter bugs in the City.”
Also, King said that the Council is looking to erect some structures on Merriman Mall to house hair dressers and nail technicians. King said that City Hall hopes to rent the structures to these beauticians.
“It will allow us to generate money and will bring them (the beauticians) off the streets and protect the public health of the people who use those services.”
Further, King said that City Hall is working with its lawyers to bring defaulters into compliance. “We have defaulters in court; there are many people who are not paying us.”
King said that the Fisherman Co-op Society alone owes the City over $900M while the Milk Plant owes over $400M.
“We have money but those are not accessible to us because people are not coming in to pay. The reason why council is cash strapped is because the money that belongs to Council is in the bank account of people who are defaulting on paying their rates.”
King said that without the needed revenues, the Major and City Council cannot provide the services that citizens are rightfully demanding.
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Caption: Town Clerk, Royston King
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