More income, roads

Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes highlighted in his State of the City Address yesterday how the city stepped up tax collection to cope with a drop  in their share of Internal Revenue Allotment from P50 million in 2011  to P36.8 million this year.

Real property tax collection increased by 13 percent this year, business tax collection  by 13 percent, community tax by 25 percent; and occupational tax increased by 88 percent.

He credited successful automation of several tax collection processes and implementation of tax mapping of real  property.

Local revenues count for  69 percent of the city’s income.

“I challenge you to outdo yourselves and further increase your collections next year,” he told the city’s finance team. “I know you can do it,.” said Cortes who leads the second biggest city in Metro Cebu.

There were  353 new businesses this year bringing a total of 10,000 business establishments in Mandaue City, which he said was a sign of  investor trust in the city.

“We have taken concrete steps in ensuring good governance in Mandaue. Already we feel the gains of aspiring for good governance,” Cortes said in a  half-hour speech delivered in the City Council session hall .

Flagship projects
Cortes, who ends his third term in June,  said  growth  had limitations – dilapidated roads and drainage systems – with most  the city’s development funds going  to road construction and repairs.

This year, Mandaue City asphalted and concreted 4,629.59 meters of roads and paved  2,494.8 meters of  sidewalks.

He said the implementation of a drainage  master  plan is a priority and that owners of new buildings are now required to set up a  rainwater catchment.

Solid waste management has eased floodings in the city, he said.

The city government  has four brand new garbage trucks, 235 eco-wardens and finished rehabilitating the  controlled landfill  at 9 percent as required by  the Solid Waste Management Act (RA 9003).

He said Mandaue is  venturing into waste to energy technology to  reduce garbage by converting trash  into electric power that every barangay could use.