Property tax delinquency balloons in Longville Park

The Clarendon Municipal Corporation has raised alarm at the $44.7 million in property taxes owed by some residents of Longville Park in the parish.

And with just three months to go before the current fiscal year ends, the parish of Clarendon has a huge bill of $1.5 billion in property taxes.

Mayor of May Pen Winston Maragh who sounded the alarm at the last Municipal Corporation meeting held in December told The Gleaner that several summonses would be served on delinquent residents of the community.

“They usually have a good collection rate and then suddenly the Longville Park people have dropped off and so we have the other housing schemes ahead of them right now in terms of collection,” he said.

Maragh said that efforts would be made to reach out to the residents to encourage compliance.

Assistant public relations officer for the Longville Park Community Development Committee, Kemeila Ewers, said that she was aware of the delinquency problems, noting that the matter was discussed at one of the community meetings.

However, she said that some residents were making plans to make deposits on the arrears while others have indicated that they have been faced with financial setbacks.

“From what I gather, some are no longer employed while a few are facing illnesses which see them having to choose between property tax and medication,” she said.

Ewers said that efforts were being made to carry out a public education exercise to inform residents that garbage collection and street lights were funded by property taxes.

In an emailed response, the municipal corporation said that delinquent residents have been taken to court on a monthly basis.

Arrears broken down by sectors:

RESIDENTIAL

MAY PEN $597,982,798.00

CHAPELTON $39,401,734.00

LIONEL TOWN $131,952,927.00

TOTAL $769,337,459.00

 

AGRICULTURAL

MAY PEN $215,485,107.00

CHAPELTON $177,412,819.00

LIONEL TOWN $140,305,536.00

TOTAL $533,203,462.00

 

COMMERCIAL

MAY PEN $59,767,273.00

CHAPELTON $9,355,158.00

LIONEL TOWN $10,004,719.00

TOTAL $79,127,150.00

INDUSTRIAL

MAY PEN $81,507,319.00

CHAPELTON $2,964,372.00

LIONEL TOWN $28,629,614.00

TOTAL 113,101,305.00

 

INSTITUTIONAL

MAY PEN $9,625,007.00

CHAPELTON $1,584,112.00

LIONEL TOWN $4,065,239.00

TOTAL $15,274,358.00