REFILWE MEKOA
The Free State Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) will assist with all issues regarding municipal valuations.
According to Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Thabo Manyoni, a board was selected to focus on matters relating to municipal valuation appeals. He was speaking last week during a special council meeting at the Bram Fischer building in Bloemfontein. He said the board will become the body that will help residents and also pleaded with the council to inform the community on where they could be assisted.
“The valuation roll has been implemented as we know in 2013 and supplementary rolls were also implemented the same year in September and November. Furthermore, COGTA has appointed the valuation appeals board and all concerned residents can go and inquire with the board,” said Manyoni.
Meanwhile, the DA emphasised that it was the responsibility of the municipality to communicate to residents who appealed their valuations and did not receive feedback. During the meeting, the party stated that it wasn’t ideal for residents to follow up with the municipality on their appeals and that most residents did not even know that they were paying higher rates and taxes than they were supposed to.
By the end of last August the municipal valuer was supposed to finalise written responses to all rate payers who had lodged objections against their property valuations. Mangaung Metropolitan’s spokesperson Qondile Khedama then told Courant once all objections were lodged the municipal valuer would decide on evidence and submission of the objections.
