City Hall threatens name and shame, legal action if property owners don’t settle rates and taxes debt

Last Updated on Tuesday, 25 February 2025, 22:16 by Writer

The Georgetown City Council on Tuesday again threatened to take legal action against property owners “across the board” for outstanding rates and taxes if they fail to go in and settle their arrears, Mayor Alfred Mentore said.

He said 42-45 percent of ratepayers in Georgetown are “delinquent”. “We implore on every citizen in this percentile to make a special effort to reach out to us earliest and to take advantage of this opportunity to remedy, resolve and bring solutions to their tax issues. Should this not be addressed in this period, the Council will have no other choice but to publish the names of the delinquent ratepayers and lastly with a view to taking necessary legal remedies provided under law to recover,” he said.

In response to a heckle by People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) Councillor, Don Singh about whether the targeted defaulters would include Mr Mentore’s People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) political party’s holding company, Maiwak, the Chief Citizen remarked, that “all of them are going to be part of this; this is across the board”.

The PNCR has not denied or admitted that Maiwak owes City Hall more than GY$6 billion in rates and taxes including principal and interest.

Reading the proposed notice to be published in newspapers, Mr Mentore said citizens would be “invited to write” to City Hall to apply for “solutions to your outstanding indebtedness”. Ratepayers, according to the notice, would have to plead their cases and justify why the Finance Committee and the Council should green light recommendations and grant approvals.

Reacting to abstentions by the PPPC Councillors when the notice was put to a vote, the Mayor said the initiative was aimed at helping the citizens and businesses in Georgetown. “I want the public to know that we’re trying to help and, as Councillors of this City, we’re trying to help. At least the government councillors didn’t vote against, they vote in abstention but the vote was carried,” he said.

The Mayor criticised Councillor Singh, saying he was peddling scandals and propaganda instead of presenting empirical evidence.

City Councillor, Steven Jacobs asked the Mayor how the process would work and what would be the criteria. In response, Mr Mentore said that would have to put on the agenda of the Finance Committee.

Among City Hall’s priorities are the payment of increased wages and salaries, cleaning of alleyways, purchasing of more trucks and fixing of the administrative building.

Meanwhile, Mayor Mentore said Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh would be formally asked to arrange a meeting between City Hall and the Valuation Division to explore valuation and revaluation of properties in Georgetown.