Residents will get the chance to share their thoughts on the City’s budget and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) when Mayor Parks Tau travels around Joburg as part of the consultation process on these documents.
This falls in line with developing the 2012/16 IDP and the proposed 2012/13 budget. Input will be sought from all levels of society, ranging from local communities to other organs of state. Tau, along with Speaker of Council, Constance Bapela, and portfolio Head of Finance, Geoffrey Makhubo, will spearhead the outreach process.
“[They] will kick-off this process when they engage with various groups, ranging from vulnerable groups such as People with Disabilities, youth, women, ratepayers’ associations, business and others from the 17th to the 20th of April 2012,” said City spokesperson, Gugu Mathibela.
Engagements with the members of the mayoral committee in each of the City’s seven regions will follow between 21 April and 5 May. The details of the regional engagements are as follows:
- Region A: 21 April at 9am
- Region B: 21 April at 9am
- Region C: 28 April at 9am
- Region D: 28 April at 9am
- Region E: 5 May at 9am
- Region F: 22 April at 9am
- Region G: 5 May at 9am
Discussions on the IDP will centre on the tenets of liveability, sustainability and resilience, as the document is based on the City’s Growth and Development Strategy (GDS), Joburg 2040, which was launched in October 2011. “[It] will be developed in a manner that allows the City to have the capability of addressing some short-term challenges as well being able to steer the City towards its long-term goal of prosperity and inclusivity,” Mathibela explained.
As well as discussing the IDP and budget, Tau will also put forward the revised tariff policy proposal, which is pro-poor and focuses on affordability of services, promotion of access to services and cross-subsidisation of the poor where necessary.
“For example, pensioners with gross monthly income of less than R5 600 get 100 percent rebate, while those with income higher than R5 600 but less than R10 300 qualify for 50 percent rebate. The Extended Social Package (ESP) is meant to assist the poor and vulnerable households and individuals,” she said.
The first R150 000 of the value of all residential property is exempted from rating and there is a 20 percent rebate for residential sectional title, as well as varying rebates to various institutions such as schools and churches.
“The City’s tariffs increases are influenced by factors such as input cost from our suppliers such as Eskom, Kelvin Power Station and Rand Water. Other contributory factors are inflation, the cost of providing services and funding requirements to ensure sustainability of services,” she added.
All residents are urged to participate in the consultation process, either through the regional engagements; the official page of the City on Facebook; Twitter; Youtube; and the suggestion boxes at the City’s customer service centres.
The rebates for the 2012/13 financial year range from 20 percent to 100 percent for the following categories:
| Residential value exclusion | First R150 000 value of residential property is excludedfrom rating |
| Category | Rebate |
| Pensioner owners with gross monthly income of less than R5 600 | 100 percent |
| Pensioner owners whose gross income is higher than R5 600 but less than R10 000 | 50 percent |
| Sectional title | 20 percent |
| Heritage sites | 20 percent |
| Organisations with purpose of animal protection | 100 percent |
| Technical colleges | 20 percent |
| Universities and tertiary education institutions | 20 percent |
| Property owned by organisations in terms of the Housing Development Schemes for Retired Persons Act | 50 percent |
| Vacant land subject to conditions | 50 percent |
| Private sports clubs | 40 percent |
“We are convinced that the City has a clear roadmap for delivery – both in the short term as well as in developing a process for medium and long-term development,” Mathibela concluded.
Source: Joburg.org.za