City Hall says $1.8B owed in property taxes

…to publish names of delinquent rate payers

WITH some $1.8B in property taxes outstanding, the Mayor and Councillors of the city of Georgetown is urging property owners to honour their obligations to the Council.

In a release on Tuesday, the City Hall said currently it is experiencing financial shortfall, noting that its records show that one billion, eight hundred and seventeen million and four hundred thousand dollars are outstanding in property rates. “The wards that exhibit the highest level of delinquency are Kingston with $95,584,495.00, outstanding; Queenstown owes $66,564,877.00; whilst North Cummingsburg accrued a total of $80,869,878; South Cummingsburg $78,493,828; Stabroek $72,504,597; Bourda 32,367,138 and Thomas Lands 30,310,089.00.

“The financial shortfall has affected the delivery of critical services to the citizens, including payment to contractors for garbage collection. Rate payers who have outstanding amounts from the previous year can utilize a payment plan which would allow rate payers to pay 1/3 of the outstanding amount owed and the remainder in (6 six) equal installments.”

The M&CC said the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01 section 209 states:

(1) “The owner of a property shall be liable for the payment of rates levied thereon”.

(2) “The person whose name appears in the valuation list shall, for the purpose of this section, be deemed to be the owner of the property listed against his name until the contrary is proved to the satisfaction of the council”.
Section 213 states:

(1) “The rates due in respect of a general rate shall be payable in four equal installments which shall become due to the first day of February or on the day of service of the demand note, whichever day is later, the first day of April, the first day of July and the first day of October”.

(2) “ The rates due in respect of supplementary rate shall be payable in two equal installments which shall become due on the first day of July or on service of the demand note, whichever day is the later and the first day of October”.

According to City Hall general rates is one of the main sources of income for the Georgetown Municipality. The level of delinquency is higher than 2017. Shortly, the City’s administration will be publishing the names and addresses of property owners who have been consistently delinquent.

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