From 1 JULY, mense will have to dig deeper into their pockets after the City of Cape Town council presented a new budget with controversial new tariffs.
The City’s R47.7billion budget and Integrated Development Plan was adopted at a special council meeting on Wednesday.
A total of 139 councillors voted in favour of the budget, while 66 opposition councillors opposed it.
Although the revised budget now has lower tariffs, the City’s pipe levy and electricity surcharge of R150 for properties with values in excess of R1 million still apply.
Charges for differently sized water pipe meters would also be added.
For a 15mm meter, homeowners will be charged R56, for a 20mm it will be an extra R100, while those with 25mm meters will pay R156.
Mayor Patricia de Lille said during the public participation process - from 28 March until 4 May - over 50 400 comments were received.
“I am thrilled that the City managed to resolve one of the biggest contentions in the budget with the proposed 26.9% and 55.1% water tariff increases,” the mayor said.
“One month into the public participation process, we had already received more than 24 900 comments, of which approximately 80% were tariff-related objections, more specifically objections to the electricity, water and rates tariffs.”
The overall water tariff was decreased from 26.9% to 19.9%, while lower band users (0 to 6 kilolitres) who were initially going to pay 55.1%, will now pay 10.1% more.
Households using less than 6000 litres per month will therefore pay R28.90 per kilolitre instead of R40.73 * /kl as initially proposed, De Lille said.
“Property rates tariffs have also been reduced from 7.2% to 6.5%. This will result in a reduction of R65m on property rates revenue.”
The increase for electricity (8.1%) and refuse collection (5.7%) remains, while the sanitation tariff has also been reduced from 26.9% to 19.9%.
However, opposition parties have slammed the budget, saying the poor will suffer.
ACDP councillor Grant Haskin said: “It is an embarrassment to go through this budget. How could you think that a 55% water increase would be affordable?”