MyZA

News, Directory, Events and Other Stuff

You are here: Home / News / Business / Ratepayers should not have to pay higher rates until objections are resolved

Ratepayers should not have to pay higher rates until objections are resolved

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA) has written to the City of Johannesburg asking for rates increases based on reassessed property values to be suspended until the objection process is finalised.

Though property owners may have sighed with relief when MMC of Finance, Dada Morero, announced an increase in property rates of only 2% earlier this month, OUTA warns that this increase excludes the valuations increase posed by the recent General Valuation Roll (GVR) of 2023.

OUTA wants the City to hold off on increases linked to the updated valuations where objections have been lodged until these have been resolved.

“The looming rates increase is a major concern with regards to the sustainability and affordability for Johannesburg ratepayers, as this is on top of already exorbitant increases in other City tariffs. Semigration is real and people and businesses are leaving the City to live in municipalities where it is cheaper and safer, where they can protect their asset value and where they get good services for the money they pay,” says Julius Kleynhans, OUTA’s Executive Manager for Social Innovation.

In the letter, OUTA raised concern over the turnaround time by the City in addressing objections before the new rates apply as well as the credibility of the method used to determine the rates of 934 652 properties within the City.

“We do believe that the method used by the City’s valuers may have resulted in mistakes with regards to fairness and reasonableness on certain property values. This poses significant financial implications for these property owners. We believe it would be fair for the objection process to be finalised before rates increases are applied,” says Kleynhans.

“With this in mind, and the recent disruptions within the City that had a direct effect on service delivery, we asked the City to consider flagging all accounts which have logged a formal objection to the new proposed valuations within the GVR 2023 and to apply only the 2% property rates increase until such an objection has been resolved,” says Kleynhans.

OUTA believes that this process will bring relief to residents and businesses and create a fair process until a credible conclusion has been reached between the CoJ and the particular ratepayer.

OUTA acknowledged the amended property rates relief to pensioners within the City and thanked the City for its consideration and implementation of this to assist the elderly.

Category: Tag:

If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:

Letter to the Editor

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
If this is in response to an article please include that article title here or as the lead in for the first paragraph of your Letter below.

Separate tags with commas

Localise your letter by naming the city your words are about. Add relevant words describing your subject. Single comma separated words of no more than 5
Your Name(Required)
Your Name will be linked to the website below.
Your personal, business or social media web site
Choose NO to not set up a user account on MyZA. User Accounts will allow you to submit letters under your own Author Name

3 Latest Letters to the Editor:

  • Fun South African fact

    Dear Editor Fun South African fact: towns like Franschhoek and Stellenbosch are home to world-class wine farms set in stunning, scenic surroundings. Regards Aressa Smith In Response to/From: Luxury Properties Seized in New Lottery Crackdown

  • Condolences on the Passing of Lusanda Dumke

    Statement by Leander Kruger MPL – DA Buffalo City Constituency Leader: The Democratic Alliance in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality mourns the passing of Springbok Women’s rugby player and Mdantsane trailblazer, Lusanda Dumke, who lost her battle with cancer at the age of 28. South Africa has lost an exceptional athlete, a leader, and a source…

  • Rape Kits Delivered, But…

    Statement by Nicholas Gotsell MP – DA NCOP Member on Security & Justice: The DA can confirm that 2 840 rape kits arrived in Cape Town on Monday, following sustained DA oversight and pressure after multiple police stations across the Western Cape were found to be without this critical forensic evidence tool. While this delivery…

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Zareef Minty is making waves in South Africa\’s politics, law and business industries. ZRF Holdings houses a PR company, a clothing company and a law firm. He\’s also a best-selling author of Empire, which is aimed at a young audience in need of life and career guidance. Minty is a motivational speaker and a One Young World ambassador. He\’s been named one of the Top 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian and he\’s on the Forbes 2018 list of 30 under 30 African\’s to watch.