The Government’s steadfast refusal to approve a revaluation of Georgetown’s properties and taxes raises serious concerns about its intentions for the capital city. Critics argue that this deliberate denial is part of a larger strategy to financially cripple the Georgetown City Council, leaving it unable to provide essential services such as drainage, solid waste management, street maintenance, and public health.
The Council is controlled by the Opposition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), of which the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) is the major partner.
Thursday, General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Bharrat Jagdeo, made it clear that his government will not approve the requested revaluation process, claiming it is politically motivated and that it would result in higher taxes. However, local leaders and financial experts have strongly criticised this decision, arguing that the government’s stance is a direct attack on the city’s ability to fund basic services for its 250,000 residents.
In an interview with Village Voice News, Retired Lt. Col. Lelon Saul, Head of the Finance Committee of the City Council, explained the dire financial situation faced by the council.
Saul emphasised that the City Council is responsible for maintaining the city’s public health infrastructure, public open spaces, parks, municipal roads, drainage networks, and markets. With Georgetown spanning approximately 70 square kilometers, the city’s services cover a large area, and the council must maintain crucial facilities such as the Promenade Gardens, markets, and municipal roads, which make up the majority of the city’s roads.
Saul pointed out that the council requires at least $500 million annually just to keep its markets operational, and that substantial funds are needed for capacity building, especially in engineering and public health. The City Constabulary, another vital service, also requires significant funding. Despite the large population and the city’s many demands, Saul noted that the council’s revenue is woefully inadequate to meet these needs.
“Revenue is a constant struggle,” Saul said. “The city requires approximately $1.4 billion per year just to cover employment costs, leaving the council with only $600 million to provide services. For waste management and drainage, just to maintain the drainage networks and outfalls, we would need at least $500 million, and to do a good job with waste management—recycling included—we need around $600 million. But right now, we’re nowhere near that.”
Saul further explained that even if the council were to collect all outstanding rates and taxes, which amount to approximately $6 million annually, the funds would still fall short.
The booming construction sector in Georgetown should be an indicator that the city’s revenue base could be expanding, but as Saul noted, that is not happening. Instead, the council’s revenue continues to decline. In 2024, the City Council reported a revenue of $2.09 billion, while its expenditure for the year amounted to $25 billion—revealing the immense shortfall in funding.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that only 48% of ratepayers in the city are paying their taxes. This contributes to a growing financial gap, one that the city is struggling to fill.
Saul criticised the government for providing only $30 million per year in subventions, an amount that pales in comparison to the actual needs of the capital. “You cannot spend what you do not have,” Saul emphasised, calling for a more realistic approach to managing Georgetown’s finances.
The council’s financial challenges are compounded by the government’s decision to block the revaluation of property taxes. A fair and accurate revaluation process could have helped the council raise the necessary funds to better maintain services.
Yet, the PPP’s government continues to block this process, leaving the City Council unable to increase its tax revenue in line with the city’s growing needs. This refusal to allow a fair and necessary process is widely seen as a deliberate tactic to undermine the council’s financial autonomy and leave it unable to provide the essential services that residents rely on daily.
The government’s decision echoes the troubling pattern of neglect Georgetown has faced from the PPP administration. In the past, former PPP officials even expressed a desire for Georgetown to fail, with one former minister famously stating that they would not assist the city in the hopes of seeing a public health crisis unfold. This disregard for the well-being of the capital city seems to continue today with the government’s refusal to approve the revaluation process.
The council is already working with a significantly reduced budget, and without the ability to raise funds through property tax revaluation, it will only be harder to maintain essential services. The city’s infrastructure is already under strain, and the government’s refusal to approve the revaluation is a clear indication that they are not interested in supporting the capital’s growth and development.
