Possible reasons your July CoJ municipal bill was higher than normal

Many residents across the city opened their July monthly municipal bill which was out of kilter from what they were expecting.

Resident Janie Kotzé said, “Ours is due to incorrect property evaluation.”

Another, Lorraine Pretorius said her rates and taxes, ‘went from R600 to more than R2000’.

Jillian Ferri bemoaned the administration saying, “Who exactly is preparing our bills? Do they pay attention to what is in front of them?”

Kgamanyane Maphologela, director of communications and stakeholder relations at the City of Johannesburg said some changes were expected.

Below we identify probable causes for changes in tariffs:

Property valuations

“New property evaluations as part of the General Valuation Roll would affect costs from July 1 in a task carried out every four years.” Property rates that the ratepayer is charged are based on the market value of the property as determined by the municipal valuer.

“Rates will possibly increase if the value of the property stayed the same or rose. Where the value is reduced, there would be no impact.”

The period to object to the valuation roll closed on May 5. However, if the property owner did not object to the valuation, a Section 78 query can be lodged with an emphasis on the valuation date being 1 July 2022 and mailed to the Valuation Administration Section at valuationenquiries@joburg.org.za.

Pensioner rebates

These rebates lapsed on June 30 with affected individuals needing to reapply. “Previously approved pensioners’ municipal accounts will not be targeted for credit control until the end of September to give them time to reapply for a reduction in rates. It is important for residents to continue paying for municipal services until their rebates are finalised.”

New tariffs

The city announced new tariffs for key services that came into effect on July 1. City of Johannesburg MMC for Finance Dada Morero said, “We understand that many households are struggling from the high rising costs of services and are trying hard to protect residents from this through balanced tariff structures.”

He announced tariff increases for key services as follows:

• Electricity: 14.97 %
• Property Rates 2%
• Water: 9.3%
• Sanitation: 9.3
• Refuse: 7%

Maphologela said it is vital for property owners to pay for municipal services they consume like water, electricity, sewer, and refuse removal and not to fall into arrears.

In short, these are some things that can lead to an inflated bill:

• New tariff increases
• Consumption usage for both electricity and water
• Incorrect meter readings
• Changes in seasons, ie: increased electricity usage in winter
• Faulty meter for both water and electricity
• Operational and administrative problems

If you believe you have an account error, contact Joburg Connect on 0860 562 874 or email your query to joburgconnect@joburg.org.za. You will need to quote your account number. You will be given a reference number and your query will be passed on to the relevant department.? You may also visit any customer service centre. Remember to get a reference number that you may use to follow up with. A query may take up to 30 days to resolve.

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