Some BCM property owners who objected to the new rates valuations earlier in 2018, which saw many properties increase in value by up to 50%, have received letters with the outcome of their objections.
BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said the first batch of results had been posted on October 10.
Of the 159,527 properties on BCM’s roll, the municipality received 4,413 objections.
“All the objections will be finalised by the end of November.
“Where a property owner is not satisfied with the outcome of their objection, they have a right to still appeal.
“All appeals will be attended to by the appeal board, which is an independent body appointed by the provincial MEC [of local government and traditional affairs],” said Ngwenya.
“BCM has not received notification yet from the MEC’s office regarding the appeal board members and therefore cannot indicate when this process will be finalised.”
He said that the objections were “assessed based on the submissions made by the property owner in support of their objections in comparison to the market reports used during the general valuation process”.
Ngwenya said the outcome letters were sent by mail and e-mail.
There is no online resource to check or track the outcomes.
“General valuations are conducted every four years in terms of the Municipal Property Rates Act. BCM will undertake another general valuation in 2021 for implementation on July 1 2022.
“However, monthly supplementary valuations are conducted where there are changes in the form of additions to existing buildings, new buildings, subdivisions, consolidations, and also where there is a change in the use of the property that necessitates change in the rating category,” he said.
Valerie Knoetze, who chairs the Gonubie Ratepayers’ Association, said the majority of objection results she had seen were negative, with only about 20% having been approved.
Knoetze said objections that were approved were only slightly below BCM’s original valuation.
She acknowledged that anyone unhappy with the outcome of their objections could appeal again.
“At least try. If you’re still unhappy do it again,” she said, adding that it was not known how long the process would take.
Geoff Walton, DA deputy chairperson of the BCM caucus, said he had only been directly approached by one person regarding the rates objection outcomes, who had been very unhappy with the outcome.
Walton said he had, however, been told by other councillors that there were residents in their wards who had successfully received decreases and were happy.
He said that he too had personally objected but had not received any results yet.
Silvia Kessler, whose house valuation had increased by about R850,000, said she had lodged an objection but was still waiting for a result.
Kessler said that she was still hopeful that her rates would be decreased and indicated that a 10% to 15% increase would be much easier to swallow.
“If it increases that’s fair but then I want to know what I am getting for the extra [rates paid],” she said, pointing to the fact that ratepayers had to deal with a lack of service delivery in the city over the past week...