Open letter to Bitou Council
Dear Mr. Mayor,
We write this open letter to you because of the many rumours about the Municipality being financially bankrupt and the fact that information asked for is not made available. Such letter writing is not the way we like to interact with you and the municipal staff, and we only do this in an appeal to you, as a result of much pressure from our members.
The rumours circulating around town and on which we seek reassurance and clarification details for our members are:
- Cash flow problems seem to exist and we hear that overtime has not been paid for some months and that staff are being given time off instead of money earned. This is not good for residents as it upsets delivery of services and is not fair to the staff who need the money
- Last year’s accounts show that there has been excessive expenditure on salaries, the ratio of the latter to cash flow being far out of the norm for most municipalities. Why is this and when will it be corrected?
- We understand that the Old Railway Bus Depot was bought for R6 million but for what purpose was it bought? If there is a cash flow problem, has its purchase caused the problem?
- Roads and other municipal infrastructure are not being properly maintained but yet Rl .7 million has been listed in the recent Municipal report for the repair of RDP houses. These houses should be repaired at the expense of the new owners and since housing is a national and provincial, not local, government matter, members would like to know why this expenditure is planned by the municipality.
- The desalination plant is in some difficulty and we suspect more will have to be spent on modifications. Who will pay for this?
- All residents of Bitou are anxious about the supply of electricity because if the Municipality defaults on its payments, power will be cut off. Can you reassure them on this vital matter? At present the Bitou Municipal power demand exceeds the allocated crucial supply.
- Finally ratepayers would like to know why Bitou residents pay so much more for basic services than others in nearby towns. Please note the comparisons below.
We await with interest your reply to these questions. The Constitution calls for open and transparent government and that is the essence of these questions.
Yours faithfully,
Plettenberg Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association
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