This week’s question is:
Why is there a City of Johannesburg budget speech each year? Can residents give any sort of input after the speech?
Ward 101 councillor, Dalu Cele, answers:
The Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) aims to modernise budget and financial management practices in municipalities to maximise the capacity of municipalities to deliver services to all their residents.
The MFMA gives effect to the constitutional principle that recognises that the local sphere of government is ‘distinctive’ and ‘independent’, with the power to determine its own annual budget.
Being a distinctive government, each municipality has the right to determine its own budget with its own priorities and to collect property taxes, municipal levies and other charges for services rendered.
The MFMA brings greater responsibility, as it requires greater accountability to the municipal council and local community through effective consultation on important decisions such as budgets, borrowing, and the Integrated Development Planning (IDP).
The City of Johannesburg’s budget speech is an annual presentation in Council of the operational and capital budget as well as the plans and priorities of the City for the upcoming financial year.
Residents are provided with an opportunity to provide input on the budget via the IDP that is conducted by the City prior to the presentation of the annual budget.
The next opportunity for residents to provide input is when the next IDP process is underway leading up to the following financial year.
Do you have a question for a ward councillor?
As a local newspaper, the Randburg Sun provides a platform for residents to learn about, understand and follow local government.
As an extension of that, there is a weekly column called Councillor’s Corner which is a platform for you, our readers, to voice your concerns or questions for ward councillors to respond to.
Different, willing, ward councillors will respond to a question each week.
Email your burning question to aimeed@caxton.co.za and let’s get the ball rolling.
