Have your say on the City's draft Rates Policy
To News Editors
No Embargo
27 June 2007
The City of Joburg has recently formulated a draft Rates Policy in terms of the requirements of the new Municipal Property Rates Act (2004).
"As part of this initiative we will be embarking on public participation from 1 July to end October 2007 and encourage all our customers and residents, property owners specifically to have their say and tell us what they think of the draft Rates Policy during this period", says Councillor Parks Tau Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance and Economic Development.
This important process will result in the final determination of what every property owner in the City will pay for their assessed rates from July 2008.
The Act requires all municipalities in the country to rate property on the basis of property value and improvements on the property. To date, Joburg has rated property on the basis of property value only and now has to comply with the new Act.
Other requirements are:
Joburg will issue statements for rates accounts directly to owners of sectional-title properties and no longer the managing agent/body corporate.
Except for property excluded by the Act, all residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural and even government property will receive a rates account from July 2008. So owners of above-mentioned properties may have a particular interest in reading and commenting on the policy.
Copies of the draft Rates Policy will be available from all the City's main customer service centres and on the City's website at www.joburg.org.za from 1 July 2007. Organisations who may require additional briefing sessions on the draft policy can request such meeting by sending a fax to the Director: Rates & Taxes at (011) 381 9642. This fax number may also be used to submit comments or posted to The City Manager PO Box 1450 Johannesburg 2000 and emailed to ratespolicy@joburg.org.za. Other general enquiries about the draft policy can be directed to our call centre on (011) 375 5555.
"All submissions should include full names, account number, property description, postal address and any other contact details", says Tau.
The City is also in the process of updating and finalizing a new Valuation Roll that will be available to all customers and residents for comment and inspection for 90 days from February 2008.
The rate in the Rand is essentially a measure used by Council that indicates that for every R1 of the property valuation, the City will bill customers a set number of cents for the property rates. The intention is to use a new rate that will however only become known in April 2008.
"The good news is the City is likely to lower the rate in the Rand as an accommodation for the increase in property valuations and may also allow a phased-in implementation period for the new assessment rates over three to four years", says Tau.
Ends
"The City derives its revenue from the following major sources: electricity, 23.4%: water and sanitation, 19.7%: property rates, 20.2%: regional services levies, 13.2%: operating and capital grants, 9.5% and sundry revenue 11.6%"
Issued on behalf of Councillor Parks Tau
Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance and Economic Development
By
Virgil James
Communications Specialist
City of Joburg
011 407 7226
082 467 9415
