Property Tax Delinquents Responding Positively in St. Elizabeth

Persons owing property taxes have been responding positively to the drive by the St. Elizabeth Parish Council to collect the outstanding amount of $870 million.

This was noted by Mayor of Black River, Councillor Everton Fisher, at a Social Development Commission (SDC) parish forum, held on March 11 at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS).

The Mayor said that Council officials met with delinquent taxpayers to “dialogue” with them, “then we served notices on them to come in or go to court.”

“We have seen many of them coming in now to pay up their property taxes. We are encouraging the others, who are still outstanding, to come in and do likewise. As a Council, we need the revenue to pay for our street lights, our garbage collection and other deliverables,” Mr. Fisher emphasized.

He noted that many payments are being made by persons who owe small sums. 

“Those with higher value properties, these are the delinquent persons. We are encouraging them to come in and dialogue with us at the Council,” the Mayor said.

Mr. Fisher said the Council is working in earnest to get a revenue centre established in the town of Junction, noting that “our revenues are going to other parishes, based on the geographical setting of the parish.”

The forum is one of several to be held islandwide to report on the work of the SDC and other agencies.  

By Garfield Angus, JIS Reporter