EACH year the Ndlambe municipality has to compile a budget to balance income and expenditure, and this document goes through several iterations until finally being approved by council and submitted to province for ratification and publication in the provincial gazette.
Now, as the deadline for submission approaches (end of June) the municipality has had to re-look at the rates increase of 6.4% as recommended by National Treasury guidelines.
Municipal spokesman Cecil Mbolekwa, issued a media statement in which the rates increase has not yet been agreed on and will probably increase from 6.4% as previously tabled.
“Ndlambe is working using the treasury guideline of 6.4% increase on rates. Â However, in trying to balance the budget it is unlikely that the guideline increment will be implemented,” Mbolekwa wrote in a statement.
“We are currently consulting with NRF [Ndlambe Ratepayers Forum] to establish what the increment should be. They have made their submissions which are being considered by the municipality. The guideline increment is far from the historical increments. We hope that we would eventually come to an acceptable increment to enable us to continue with service delivery.”
