New Amsterdam Municipality reports record collection for 2018

Jan 13, 2019 News

The Municipality of New Amsterdam has reported that it has collected five times as much property tax in 2018 in comparison to 2017. It has also successfully collected 78 per cent of its budgeted taxes for the year.
For the first time in its history, the municipality tax collection reached the $50M mark. A sum of $54.3M in property taxes was collected. More significant is the $18M in interest on arrears collected. The arrears were $6M.
Town Treasurer, Kerriann Edwards, said that the milestone was achieved as a result of the emphasis placed on visiting homes to get persons to pay outstanding amounts due during last year.
She noted that on many occasions, they found that no one was occupying the property, and the lot was taken over with thick vegetation. Many of those property owners are curre

Officer in Charge of the Town Constabulary, Charles Roberts

ntly overseas.
The new approach is in keeping with the municipality’s drive to accumulate money to return the town to its former glory. However, the necessary cooperation from some residents leaves much to be desired, the council explained.
The council, in its drive to ensure compliance and increase its revenue collection, will be publicising the names of those residents who have significant amounts outstanding.
Officer in Charge of the Town Constabulary, Assistant Superintendent Charles Roberts, stated that the council has undertaken a new initiative to visit persons to encourage compliance. Failure to comply may result in photographs of their property being published along with the amount owed to the council.
“I implore upon you to visit the Treasurer’s Department urgently to avoid the inconvenience as it relates to those persons who would have been delinquent. As it relates to paying their rates and taxes that are owed to the council” he said.
The municipality is also set to take strong actions against persons who park their vehicle in streets, blocking the entrance of the residents. The municipality has also declared zero tolerance for illegal vending in the town and has promised to get tough on persons found littering.
“Skid bins have been placed in strategic locations for domestic waste only, yet commercial waste is being seen in those bins. We are appealing to those errant business persons to desist and to be warned since a new initiative is in place,” Roberts explained that persons will be placed before the courts if found littering.

Persons are being encouraged to take pictures or video of persons found littering and submit same to the council.
“You can use your phones and take photographs. The perpetrators will be fined, and 50 per cent of that fine will be given to the person bringing the photograph to the council,” Roberts explained.
The fine for individuals found guilty of littering is $10,000, while businesses will have to pay $100,000.
In the meanwhile, residents have accused the municipality of not doing enough since increasing property tax by 100 per cent as from January 1, 2018.

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