THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY –February 2010.
Management Funding -
THIS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE VALUE OF YOUR PROPERTY –February 2010.
Thomas Jefferson said that the price of democracy was eternal vigilance. So is the price of good governance and good government.
We have all seen the performance trajectory of local government in Africa, Zimbabwe and now South Africa. It is quite clear that ‘things are gonna get a lot worse before they get better’. This is where ratepayers and residents have to rely on an active vigilant Residents Association. Your Association has had a number of successes to date and is at the forefront of efforts to engage with the local Municipality on a constructive but businesslike manner. This interaction led to facilitated talks where the concerns of ratepayers and residents will hopefully get the attention that they deserve.
Government Reports indicate that over a number of years Municipal services across South Africa have deteriorated at an increasing pace while rates , taxes and prices of services have escalated out of control. Political appointees who do not have the necessary skills, corruption, fraud and nepotism have been highlighted in these reports as key reasons for none performance. This results in only a fraction of the rates collected being applied to services whilst municipal spend spirals out of control.
It is self evident that in areas where services deteriorate the fastest the value of investments will fall the fastest. Even a modest home in St Francis Bay costs millions. So consider how much even a 10% devaluation of your property could cost.
Good local government will protect your investments, your lifestyles and yourselves. This is why, The Residents’ Association is vehemently committed to ensuring that the Kouga Municipality delivers on service and good financial governance.
This is an endless and thankless task, currently relying totally on volunteers and meager membership fees. This is where you can assist us. In the future some legal action against the municipality is highly probable. It is also evident that for strategic reasons we cannot continue to rely entirely on the voluntary time and effort of so few. A permanent resource is a necessity if we continue the current level of engagement with the local authority.
We appeal for you not to be a passenger, a bystander or a freeloader. Sign up with the St Francis Residents Association…read the monthly news letter, pay subs, donate to the war chest and participate in the opinion surveys. …etc. etc….
We need your vigilance as well.
Civic bodies easily and often fall into the control of the Vocal Minority. Here vested interests, peripheral priorities and populist agendas are pursued at the cost of the core issues. When this happens this is almost always the fault of the lazy and the disinterested majority of the population.
The choice is entirely yours……participate or suffer a weak Association.
