State auditors again reminded the Cebu City government to revise its schedule of market values (SMV) of real properties in order to update the city’s real property tax collection.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama reiterated that consultations should be made ahead of the planned general revision to avoid having real property owners “revolt.”
In their 2013 Annual Audit Report, the Commission on Audit (COA) asked Acting City Assessor Ferdinand Cañete to update the city’s SMVs covering different classes of real properties for the mayor’s approval.
“Further, we recommend that the city assessor endorse the updated SMV to the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) for the enactment of the appropriate ordinance,” the report said.
The Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) earlier called the city’s attention to revise its SMV together with the cities of Mandaue, Danao and Toledo.
“BLGF was already very clear that we need to pursue it (general revision). I am aggressively pursuing it but we must do it step by step,” Rama said.
But Rama, who is seeking reelection in 2016, didn’t give a time frame.
“It’s their work to conduct the consultations. The management style of the mayor is that I start with the idea,” he said.
Cañete said they are reassessing real properties in the city in preparation for the general revision.
He said his office aim to increase the assessed value of real property unit to P35 billion from P28 billion last year and raise the city’s real property tax collection to P1.050 billion or P160 million more than last year’s collection of P840 million.
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