City Council gives stakeholders insight into its budget
GEORGETOWN Deputy Mayor Robert Williams gave stakeholders an insight into the Municipality’s Budget last Thursday evening. The pre-budget meeting was facilitated by the Implementation Committee (IC), chaired by Mr. Keith Burrowes, who was the Commissioner appointed by Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Kellawan Lall to investigate the operations of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC).

According to Burrowes, the purpose of the gathering, at ‘De Impeccable Banquet Hall’, on Brickdam, was to make people, especially in the Private Sector Commission (PSC), understand some of the constraints with which the Council is faced and discuss the IC recommendations.
Among others present were Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Jennifer Webster; Chairman of the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), Bishop Juan Edghill and PSC Chairman, Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo.

Mr. Williams said City Hall anticipates reduced expenditure on staffing and proposes to spend $330M on garbage collection, $304M on drainage and $230M on public health.
He said the Council feels it is necessary to maintain a maternal and child welfare facility and will be working in collaboration with the government, this year, having already earmarked funding for different works across the city.

Williams said the 2011 budget would also focus on markets, with at least $200M in revenue to be garnered by that division while catering for repairs to the markets, especially at Albouystown and Kitty.

In addition, he said speeding up the judicial process will be looked at, particularly those businesses that can, often times, afford to pay their taxes.

Williams said that is one of the most important steps being taken this year.
People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Councillor, Junior Garrett, has proposed an increase in rates and taxes, together with a greater subvention from government, in order to execute all planned works.

He said the Valuation Roll should be secured so that adjustments to charges on certain properties can be made.

“Over the years, the Council has not been able to do the works that it had intended to do, mainly because of the lack of the necessary financial resources. And that is because the Council has not been able to increase rates and taxes since 1987,” Mr. Garrett stated.

Mayor Hamilton Green corrected Garrett, stating that the year was 1997 instead of 1987.

SEVERAL INCREASES
Garrett, however, maintained that, since that time, there were several increases in charges for electricity, water and a demand for more wages and salaries and greater costs for goods and services the Council has to acquire.

Garrett said the municipality is, therefore, asking the PSC to ensure that its members pay up their rates and taxes.

“At the moment, the PSC outstanding rates and taxes is in the vicinity of $450M and that can take us a very far way,” the Councillor said.

He pointed out that, to boost the effort, a debt collection drive unit has been established.
“We’re not saying that City Hall is the best. We are a bit tardy in our collection process but we also intend to, aggressively, do a debt collection drive. It’s not a gloomy situation. It is a situation that we could get some relief if all stakeholders work together to restore Georgetown back to the garden city,” Garrett said.