THE Kouga Council approved the municipality\u2019s operating and capital budgets for the new financial year, starting July, at a meeting last Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In terms of the new budget consumers can expect to pay 7,5% more for property rates in the new year. The tariffs for water will increase by 11%, sanitation by 9%, refuse collection by 8%, electricity by 7,57% on average and the Environmental Management Fee (EMF) by 6%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Executive Mayor Horatio Hendricks said the total operating expenditure for 2018\/2019 amounted to R796,785-million, which is a 5,48% increase when compared to the 2017\/18 adjustment budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The total operating revenue for 2018\/2019 is R753,717-million, which represents an increase of 9,39 % or R64,69-million when compared to the adjustment budget.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said funding for the operating budget would be obtained from various sources, the major contributors being services such as electricity, water, sanitation, the EMF and refuse collection (53,08 %), property rates (23,45 %) and grants and subsidies from national and provincial government (16,4%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The capital budget for 2018\/2019 amounts to R67,745-million, which is R 1,689-million or 2,43 % less than the 2017\/18 adjustment budget. It will be funded from government grants and subsidies, as well as internal funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hendricks said the municipality\u2019s financial position had improved to such an extent that internal funding could be used to boost its capital budget for the first time in years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEvery effort will also be made to secure additional funding to continue upgrading our infrastructure and expanding services to all communities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said unused and underutilised land had already been identified and plans for its sale were in place. \u201cLand for commonages and emerging farmers also remains a high priority and is one of my personal objectives,\u201d he added.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n He said cutting on lavish spending was also a priority. \u201cTherefore, the Mayor will drive his own car and the Speaker will drive his own car. I have also reduced the number of Mayoral Committee members from six to five to save costs and bring about a lean, but more effective, committee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said the new budget made provision for staff costs of R 272,8 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis figure represents 34,24 % of the total operating expenditure, well within the norm set by National Treasury.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Repairs and maintenance for the 2018\/19 year are budgeted at R37-million, equating to 4,65 % of the total operating budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile this percentage is below our target of 8%, the money will go to where it is needed most, with at least 71% of this allocation to be spent on infrastructure assets,\u201d Hendricks said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe will also be spending R 6,5 million on replacing fleet that is no longer functional, further increasing our commitment to service excellence.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" THE Kouga Council approved the 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