Flood rebates to be investigated
JON HOUZET
A LENGTHY process will have to be undertaken before council considers rates rebates for residents whose properties were damaged in last year's floods.
Ward 10 councillor Ross Purdon raised the issue in an executive committee meeting in November, advocating on behalf of residents who have not been able to use their homes after significant flood damage.
A number of homes in the Medolino valley were covered to the roof in polluted water and since became uninhabitable.
"The mayor was very supportive – the words he used were, ‘we area caring municipality',” Purdon said last week. I am confident of this happening and hope to have it confirmed at council on January 30.”
However, the matter was not discussed in Wednesday's council meeting.
Earlier this week, Ndlambe's deputy director of finance Michael Klaas said the mayor made "a commitment in principle” in exco, that council would assist.
"The mayor's commitment will have to be executed following existing legislation and council policies,” said Klaas. "Current rates policy does not make a provision for such a rebate and policy will have to be amended to accommodate this rebate type.”
He said there had been no further discussions about the issue since November.
He advised affected property owners to come forward individually and state that they want relief, so that their properties will be submitted to the valuers to be valued.
"An opportunity is available now to have the properties valued immediately as our valuers are currently busy with Part B of the 6th Supplementary valuation Roll,” said Klaas.
"This would be the first opportunity for discussion on this subject. The second opportunity would be to ensure that the values of these properties are fairly adjusted through following the valuation processes.”
There would be further discussion during the budget process, when public comments are received, rebates are approved and policy amendments could be made.
"Once these processes are done, council can resolve to implement the resolution retrospectively and the affected accounts be rectified,” said Klaas.
He also pointed out that residents whose water and electricity accounts were affected during the flooding and who brought these problems to the finance department's attention were assisted.
"We are still assisting with rectification of their bills where it is established that floods were the cause of the problem.”
