City Mayor wants revaluation for new, modified properties; PPP says hold wide-ranging consultations first

Last Updated on Friday, 28 February 2025, 22:06 by Writer

Georgetown Mayor, Alfred Mentore on Friday said he wants the Ministry of Finance’s Valuation Division to revaluate high-rise buildings and others whose purposes have been changed over the years, but People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) councillor, Audwyn Ashby said there must first be broad-based consultations.

“Our push is to cause those newly constructed buildings and high rises that were not revalued for rating purposes and the other delinquents to finalise their obligations to us,” Mr Mentore said in reaction to Thursday’s night’s Demerara Waves Online News report that stated that he back-pedaled on his intention at Tuesday’s statutory meeting to request talks with Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh about both valuation and revaluation of properties in Georgetown.

Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday ruled out any revaluation of properties in the Guyana capital, in keeping with his PPPC position that there must be no increased taxes.

But the City Mayor, in seeking to clarify what he meant by revaluations in his remarks at Tuesday’s statutory meeting, said, “That is specific to the hundreds or thousands of buildings that have changed their use over the last few years and which the valuation division is being slothful in not remedying. Those properties need a new assessment or re-evaluation and classification.”

He said the revaluations are for certain properties that have outstanding indebtedness to the Council, in keeping with discussions at previous statutory meetings. Mr Mentore conceded that it was improbable for any right-thinking Mayor with 55 % of the people paying move to have the rates increased. “That would be unconscionable to those persons, onerous and not equitable. That would only add more burdens to those honouring their obligations to the Council,” he said.

But PPPC Councillor Odayson Ashby said he and his other party councillors of Georgetown were rigidly opposed to any property revaluation without broad-based consultations among both PPPC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Councillors, the Town Clerk, Central Housing and Planning Authority, Ministry of Public Works, Private Sector Commission and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce. He said if there is to be a revaluation, all properties must undergo that process. “We are opposed to that because what goes for one goes for all. If you want to do a revaluation, it must be done across the board for all buildings…You just can’t do the new buildings that have been erected within the past three years or so because that would be victimising persons,” he said. Mr Ashby said the Council would be losing revenue from new buildings that had been erected.

He accused Mayor Mentore of acting autocratically because APNU commands the majority with 19 council seats and the PPPC with eleven. Mr Ashby added that while the majority rules in a democracy, there should be favourable consultations and certain decisions must reflect the benefit of the people “because that’s why you’re there to serve” and in the best interest of Georgetown. “You’re not there to serve based on a one-man rule,” said Mr Ashby who missed several statutory Council meetings.

In fact, the City Mayor pointed out at Tuesday’s Council meeting that he had the full support of the Council. “I don’t have to usurp the role of the Council. I enjoy a majority of this Council and even a supermajority where members on the other side give support to many decisions that I make.”