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.