A NUMBER of big companies and Georgetown residents owe rates and taxes to the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) totaling more than $6B.

The M&CC said the non-payment of these taxes hinder the municipality from carrying out critical works in the city.

City Hall is working through its attorneys to recover outstanding rates, saying that it has exhausted all other options to recover the outstanding sums, including encouraging defaulters to take full advantage of a special payment plan.

“Many property-owners continue to neglect to honour their civic-responsibility to pay their rates. The Council wishes to remind property owners that there has been no valuation of properties in the city, for over 20 years. Meanwhile, environmental, demographic, economic and other changes have increased the costs of municipal services and facilities for the Council,” City Hall said.