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Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Babalwa Lobishe tabled the metro's adjustments budget for the 2024/2025 financial year at a special council meeting on Monday.
This came more than a week after the city was unable to table the budget at the last scheduled meeting on 27 February, due to an "administrative failure".
The mayor said she had written to the city manager to ensure that there was "consequence management" for the delay after a new chief financial officer was appointed at the end of January.
Mayor Lobishe told councillors at Nelson Mandela Bay stadium that both officials indicated that the reason for the late submission related to "delays in the system".
She said in the letter to the acting city manager she noted the need for "consequence management' as the municipality runs the risk of a qualified audit opinion from the Auditor General.
Meanwhile, the executive mayor noted that the "break-even" adjustments budget was "fully funded" as required by the national treasury.
In a speech prepared for delivery, mayor Lobishe noted some budget highlights, including the continued support, to the tune of over R600m, of indigent households through the Assistance to the Poor Policy.
She said this is funded from the equitable share from the national treasury to tune of more than R600 million in the current financial year.
The adjustments budget also incorporates two disaster relief grants of R53m and R89m which will be used for the medium and long-term strategies relating to the flood disasters in Kariega.
According to Lobishe, the adjustments budget is meant to reprioritise projects that were not yet implemented, or moving slowly due to various reasons.
The executive mayor also highlighted budget allocations of over R22 million to address upgrades to the 132kv power line in Summerstrand following the collapse of power pylons last year.
Meanwhile, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Jackson Ngcelwane, said electricity purchases from Eskom formed the biggest part of the metro's finances.
He added that the adjustments budget showed a decrease of about R88 million in revenue for services due to the drop in the collection rate.
Opposition parties meanwhile responded by slamming the state of the city and pointing to the poor state of roads and lighting, among other issues, besetting the metro.
Other party representatives said the city was on the brink of financial collapse and that the adjustments budget was "out of touch" with reality.
