MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Regarded as one of the most difficult parishes in which to collect property tax, Manchester will see the proposed night court to put a dent in delinquency come into effect this week.

Director of finance at the Manchester Parish Council David Harris told the Jamaica Observer Central that one case will be heard on June 17 as the decision is for the sessions to be held on the third Wednesday of each month.

He said that so far, through different initiatives, roughly 25 per cent of the $920-million target for the financial year (April 1, 2015- March 31, 2016) has been collected.

Speaking at the monthly meeting at the Manchester Parish Council on Thursday, Harris said that from July onwards it will be “full speed ahead” for the number of cases that will be heard.

Harris said that also coming on stream for non-compliant property owners who have failed to honour court orders, their names will be published in the print media as the court continues to take action.

Mayor of Mandeville Brenda Ramsay reiterated at the council meeting that the ability to offer services to the community, such as the installation of street lights, is made possible through property tax payments.

She said that the recurrent expenditure per month just to maintain existing street lights is quite costly.

“We know it is not something that everybody likes to do, to pay tax, but from the beginning of time it has been a part of how we operate,” said Ramsay.

Harris also used the monthly meeting to urge members of the public to be co-operative with people who are employed to distribute property tax notices.

As efforts continue to improve property tax payments, he said, some support with resources such as computers have been made available for use by the Inland Revenue Department (Tax Office) in Mandeville, which handles the majority of the payments in Manchester.

There is also an Inland Revenue office in Christiana at the north- eastern end of the parish.

The implementation of the night courts for property tax delinquents was done through a formal agreement between the Manchester Parish Council and the Mandeville Resident Magistrate’s Court.

The tax office will be responsible for scheduling the cases.

— Alicia Sutherland