Municipal budget 'focused on service delivery'

MOSSEL BAY NEWS - At a special council meeting on Thursday, 31 May the executive mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal's 2018/2019 draft municipal budget of R1.1 billion was approved.

The mayor, however, called on all beneficiaries of free basic services as provided for in the budget to review their circumstances in order to ensure that they do, in fact, continue to qualify for the relief afforded to them.

Do the right thing
All those that qualify according to the council policy for the free basic services are requested to review their circumstances to ensure that they continue to qualify for these services.

Just a reminder that the free basic services is meant to assist the poor and should a household income be more than R6 760 per month, you are obligated to contact the municipality immediately to be taken off the list of qualifying indigents which is morally the right thing to do. Norms and values and ethical behaviour can make it possible for the municipality to serve all its people.

Free basic services
"The 2018/2019 budget is again focused on service delivery," the mayor said. "The plight of the poor has again been considered and it is proposed that households classified as indigent will receive a monthly subsidy of R636.72, inclusive of VAT, on their household accounts, subject to certain conditions regarding monthly income and water and electricity consumption.

"Households classified as poor will receive a subsidy of R318.36, inclusive of VAT.

"These households will continue to receive 6 kilolitres of water free and pay no basic charges on water. Indigent households will continue to receive 50 kWh of free electricity per month. As in the present financial year they will also not pay for sewerage and refuse removal services and do not pay property rates on the first R81 000 valuation of their properties, if the market value of the house is less than R81 000; otherwise the indigent household will receive a subsidy equal to the market value property or the first R50 000.

Pensioners
The 2018/2019 budget again brings financial relieve to pensioners in the form of special rebates on property rates and sewerage charges.

Equitable share
The Municipality annually receives an equitable share, which is designed to fund the provision of free basic services to people who cannot afford these basic needs. For the 2018/19 year, the municipality will receive an amount of R 80 258 000.

More than R1 billion
The total budget for 2018/19 amounts to R1.1 billion. This consists of a capital budget of R181 million and the operating budget just below R1 billion. The capital budget amounts to 15 per cent of the total budget and the operating budget to 85 per cent of the total budget.

The proposed capital budget shows an increase of 19 per cent compared to the revised capital budget for 2017/18. The proposed operating expenditure budget shows an increase of 5 per cent over the revised 2017/18 budget.

Mayor Levendal said through the ongoing and successful execution of the Ward Discretionary Funding Model the municipality can take needed infrastructure development and service improvement to all 14 wards. "In addition, the management team provided guidance on what is necessary to maintain as well as expand infrastructure to be able to cope with future growth of Mossel Bay."

Members of the public in the gallery of the council chamber silently objected to the lack of public meetings on the IDP in three of the wards.

Mossel Bay executive mayor, Alderman Harry Levendal called on households with an income of more than R6 760 per month to contact the municipality immediately to be taken off the list of qualifying indigents. "This is morally the right thing to do."