Anthony Pamm’s letter ("No To Camps Bay CID”, Atlantic Sun, October 19, 2023) refers.
Mr Pamm claims that “the proposed Camps Bay City Improvement District (CID) will, if approved, result in a large rates increase”. The truth is that the CID will result in an additional levy of approximately 14.6% of existing rates.
Most objective observers will agree that this is not a “large” increase, but is instead very reasonable given all of the benefits that the CID will bring. Furthermore, this compares well with neighbouring Atlantic Seaboard CIDs, where the additional levy is as high as 25% extra.
In the same breath, and without any evidence in support, Mr Pamm asserts that “many owners in Camps Bay cannot afford” the CID levy. The truth is that less than 1% of the almost 1 700 property owners whom the Steering Committee (SC) has to date spoken to or corresponded with have cited affordability as an issue.
The majority of those who have done so are elderly, and the SC is able to refer them to a registered financial services provider which offers a product that, if they choose to use it, will enable them to fund the additional CID levy.
Mr Pamm proceeds to contradict himself by stating that establishment of the CID by way of “a majority vote in favour” will in his view "constitute abuse of democratic process”. Self-evidently, if the required 60% of property owners consent to establishment of the CID then democratic process will by definition have been adhered to. Democracy in South Africa operates by way of majority vote, not by minority veto.
Mr Pamm’s remaining points have been comprehensively addressed in these pages and elsewhere before. Demanding that all of the rates collected from Camps Bay be spent only in Camps Bay ignores the requirement for progressive taxation in a compassionate society, whereby the provision of services to Cape Town’s large underprivileged and/or historically disadvantaged population must of necessity be funded by the city’s more fortunate citizens.
The truth is that anybody who wishes to see at least some funds ring-fenced to Camps Bay must vote in favour of the proposed CID, as indeed must anybody wanting to push the City for better service delivery.
Anyone with any experience in community matters in Camps Bay will confirm that a CID is the only way to consistently achieve either of those things, and a whole lot more besides.