Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor, Athol Trollip, has ordered that the Metros repairs and maintenance budget be increased by 30% while also instructing that proposed tariff increases be slashed.
In a statement on Monday, Trollip said: “we plan to build 30 new parks and four new multi-purpose centres in previously neglected poor communities”.
He said he had written to the Mayoral Committee Member for Budget and Treasury, Retief Odendaal, “instructing that these and a multitude of other important amendments and initiatives be implemented” in the final 2018/19 budget which must be adopted by council before the end of May.
“In addition to this, I have asked Cllr Odendaal to establish a budget steering committee comprising officials and councillors from all political parties. This will improve consultation during the budget preparation phase and streamline coordination between directorates,” Trollip said.
He said the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s financial situation is steadily improving, “with our Moody’s credit rating having just recently been upgraded from Aaa.za to Aa1.za”.
“We are extremely proud of this milestone achievement especially in the current economic climate,” he said.
Trollip, who could still face a motion of no confidence in less than two weeks, said that while the Metro’s still requires huge sums of money to address the infrastructure maintenance backlog, “residents are already heavily overburdened financially due to the previous rates and tariffs increases.”
“Thus, I will not allow the proposed increases for 2018/19 to be adopted in this budget,” he said.
Trollip said any shortfall regarding infrastructure expenditure and much-needed maintenance costs will need to be compensated for through our proposed loan funding.
