THE Major and City Council has expressed concern that some property owners have not yet settled their accounts with its treasury. This is having a negative impact on the good delivery of quality municipal service to the general public.

A release from the Council said: “As a result, the City treasury’s Department has intensified its effort to collect outstanding funds owed to the municipality. The department is in the process of issuing demand notice to ratepayers. The council will move to the next stage to initiate legal proceedings including the Parate Executive. This gives council the authority to recover outstanding taxes owed by property owners, through a process, which allows both movable and immovable property of defaulters to be sold.”

Nevertheless, the council is reminding property owners that rates due in respect of general rates shall be payable in four quarterly installments, which shall be due on the day the demand notice serve. The municipal records have shown that there are several areas in Georgetown where property owners are owe the municipality exorbitant sums. The areas include: Agricola, North Ruimveldt, Kingston, Tucville, Lacy town and Worthmanville. However, the council has expended substantial sums in drainage, solid waste, law enforcement and other city works, the release added

However, the action of defaulters to neglect their civil-responsibility to the city is seriously affecting the ability of the council to meets its financial obligation and consequently, the delivering of goods and services to citizens. Added to that, the fact that council has a narrow revenue base and the situation becomes extremely worrying, the release noted

Meanwhile, the Council said it is urging those who are in the process of purchasing property to ensure that the rates on such buildings have been paid up in full by the vendors. Quite a few citizens, who bought property on auction, are saddled with the burden of property rates owed on those buildings. Therefore, t would be very prudent of those, who are seeking to buy such buildings, to ensure that the previous owner or occupiers pay off their rates at the Major and City Council.