Dear Editor,
Kindly allow me to respond to an article in your edition of Sunday, June 29, 2008. Written by Ms Eileen Cox and titled ‘Ministry of Local Government keeps senior citizens waiting for rebates,’ Ms Cox pointed out that while a waiver on her own rates was granted in 2004, her application for a waiver on behalf of her two sisters was “not mentioned.”
It is the policy of the ministry to grant waivers to the owners of the relevant properties. In relation to her two sisters, it was not clear for some time, who owned the two properties.
Legal advice had to be sought by the ministry on this issue. She gave her own reasons.
In paragraph 5 of the article, Ms Cox went on to state:
“The waiver related to rates for the year 2004 so I immediately applied for consideration for the 2005 rates. No reply came. We are now in 2008 and no reply has yet been received. Last Wednesday I telephoned on four occasions to the officer who handles this matter and on each occasion I received the reply that he was not at his desk. I left my telephone number with a request that he telephone me. No telephone call came.”
This officer does a lot of field work and is not confined to a desk at the ministry. He relates to a large number of Neighbourhood Councils, plus areas in the hinterland, other agencies, etc. In addition, he conducts investigations into applications for rate waivers in Georgetown and elsewhere in the rural areas. He was out in the field that Wednesday.
The records at the ministry confirm that a waiver on rates was granted to Ms Eileen Cox in 2004. A waiver on rates and arrears rates was granted in relation to the property of her sisters in May 2007, up to the 31st day of December 2007. These two properties are at Lot 217 Lamaha Street, North Cummingsburg. No application for 2008 has been received.
An order authorizing a waiver on rates in 2004 for Lot E½ First Avenue, Subryanville property of Eileen Cox was granted by the then Minister. That order specified all outstanding arrears of rates for the year 2004 and also all rates due in 2005. That letter from the Minister is dated July 25, 2005 and was copied to Ms Eileen Cox.
All letters granting waivers on city rates are addressed to the Town Clerk. Each letter is copied to the Mayor and the applicant. This is standard procedure.
Following elections in August 2006, there was a change in Minister. Ms Cox in the meantime had by letter dated June 2006 written to the then Minister seeking a further waiver on rates for herself. She wrote:
“I wish to refer to your letter on the above subject to the Town Clerk and dated July 25, 2005. I now seek your approval to have a waiver of rates for the year 2006 granted to me. I continue to pay to have the parapets cleaned and I have had to repair the paal off.”
No waiver was granted to Ms Cox for her property of Lot E½ First Avenue, Subryanville for the years 2006 and 2007. In 2007, a waiver dated May 3, 2007 was granted to two properties at Lot 217 Lamaha Street, Cummingsburg, for that year only. This waiver was granted purely and strictly on humanitarian grounds.
Should Ms Cox desire further waivers, it is advisable that she submit new applications in relation to each property. The Minister reserves the right to investigate each application.
The Minister takes action under Section 212 (2) primarily on the grounds of poverty, old age, sickness and dire financial hardship. Waivers are usually granted on an annual basis.
Yours faithfully,
Clinton Collymore
Ministerial Advisor
Minister of Local
Government and
Regional Development
