The City seeks your virtual comment to draft a new property rates policy as required by prescripts of municipal governance.

The current rates policy (2020/21) is under routine review to ensure the City complies with the Municipal Property Rates Act 6 of 2004, which affords the municipality the leeway to levy property rates and tariffs equitably and affordably.

This has to happen each year, and ratepayers must be consulted to ensure the policy remains sustainable and legitimate.

This year’s virtual citywide consultative process started on Monday, 8 February and is set to run until Friday, 26 February.

Residents may use digital links to attend any of a series of scheduled meetings, which will afford them a free rein to author the City’s Property Rates Policy.

“The City has opted to host virtual meetings to comply with Covid-19 regulations. This allows ratepayers to participate in the current Rates Policy from the comfort and safety of their own homes,” says Cllr Jolidee Matongo, the MMC for Finance.

The second round of this public consultation process will take place later in the year when new proposals and feedback will be incorporated into the draft document and presented to the public for comment.

“Through the public participation process, ratepayers will be allowed to voice their concerns and have their issues heard. This is done to ensure that the process is fair, equitable, and affordable,” Cllr Matongo emphasises.

Ratepayers may join scheduled virtual public meetings to review the current rates policy, using links on the City’s social media pages.

“Customers are not limited to a specific region and are welcome to join any of the scheduled meetings,” says Matongo.

Customers are urged to review the current rates policy on the City’s website www.joburg.org.za. Suggestions and recommendations may also be emailed to ratescomments@joburg.org.za on or before 15 March 2021, which is the closing date for submissions.

The public consultative process will culminate in the 2021/22 Budget Speech. These are dates and venues of the remaining consultative meetings: