The plight of the Georgetown Municipality

Nov 25, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
Over the last few weeks, a number of events have placed the Council in the spotlight in certain sections of the media. As a result, many citizens have been asking questions about the specific and general operations of the Council and the state of affairs as it relates to finance and the provision of services.
It is against this background that we, at City Hall, seek to provide answers to our citizens. In this regard, we wish to confine our explanation to three areas: responsibilities, resources and restoration.
On the question of responsibilities, it is public knowledge that, the Georgetown municipality has the responsibility to provide municipal services to local communities within the city of Georgetown. These include roads, drainage, street lights, maintenance of cemeteries, maintenance of five municipal markets, maintenance of sluices, pumps and allied drainage equipment, Maternal and Child Welfare Services, Day Care Centres, Environmental and Public Health Services, construction, repair and maintenance of bridges, footpaths and reserves, maintenance of green spaces and recreational grounds and facilities for children, youths and seniors, enforcement of compliance to city by-laws, maintenance of pavements, and the regulation of vehicular traffic on city roads.These services are vital to the quality of life of citizens residing within the precincts of Georgetown and the transient population that visits the city for business and/or pleasure. Altogether, about five hundred citizens use the facilities and services of the city on a daily basis. However, the efficient and effective provision and delivery of these services requires money, manpower and machinery. But it is no secret that, the council is very short of all three- money, manpower and machinery.
In so far as resources are concerned, citizens will recall that in 1994, the then People’s Progressive Party/Civic government appointed an Interim Management Committee, under the Chairmanship of Dr. James Rose. That committee argued that the revenue base of the Council was too small to provide the wide range of services and facilities it was called to provide to local communities and the city.
As a result, the IMC’s proposed new revenue sources to reposition Council financially and to allow it financial comfort to fulfil its responsibilities to citizens. Even though the Committee was supported by many friends of the Council it still fell far short of the resources to keep the city clean and healthy.
Since that time and even before 1994- successive councils have made strident efforts to better the financial situation of the Mayor and City Council; they were not very successful.
The negative financial situation of the council is exacerbated by certain realities. These include: 1. Lack of valuation of properties: The fact that we have not had valuation of properties for over twenty 20 years. This means that property owners are paying rates on the rental value of their properties assessed 20 years ago; a most unfortunate situation.
A quick glance at our records at the City Treasurer’s Department shows that some property-owners are paying less than sixteen dollars per day to the council, in general rates. This is noteworthy because a substantial portion- 78% of the council’s revenue comes from general rates.
The poverty of the city cannot be decoupled from the fact that about 35% of property-owners, including big corporations and companies, even with amnesty, continue to deliberately neglect to pay their rates to the city.
Others undervalue their properties- paying domestic rates instead of commercial rates. However, many property owners actually get away with this unethical corporate behaviour because of the cumbersome judicial process.
Royston King
Town Clerk
City of Georgetown

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The plight of the Georgetown Municipality

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