The Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) collected $1.29 million in property taxes during a recent mobile tax collection drive.

The exercise was conducted on Saturday, June 21 as part of an initiative to improve compliance and make payments more accessible to residents.

It was carried out at Emmanuel Christian Academy, which serves communities including Norbrook, Cherry Gardens and Manor Park.

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby disclosed the figures while addressing the monthly meeting of the KSAMC on Tuesday as he reiterated the importance of the campaign.

“This is part of our ongoing push to improve collection and to help the public better understand their responsibility when it comes to paying our property taxes. I want to thank the team for their hard work and we collected $1.29 million from that one effort,” said Swaby.

He announced plans to expand the mobile collection service to additional areas within the municipality in a bid to make the process more convenient for residents and urged citizens to make use of the opportunities when they become available.

Swaby underscored that property taxes are due annually on April 1, and emphasised the civic responsibility that comes with timely payment.

He also called on councillors in the KSAMC to lead by example.

“I am encouraging each of you to ensure that your property tax obligations are up to date. I urge you to impress upon your constituents the importance of paying their public taxes,” said Swaby.

The drive is one of several measures being implemented by the municipality to improve tax collection rates and support community development initiatives funded through property tax revenues.