GEORGE NEWS - A shortage in personnel, hefty overtime payouts and the spending of only 15% of the capital budget a mere four months before the end of the financial year. These were some of the issues addressed in Council earlier this month.

The outcry from the municipal departments were that they are severely understaffed, with insufficient overtime budgets. 

This situation leads to abnormal amounts of overtime worked by officials and workers to keep service delivery in George on a top level.

The overtime paid out over a period of six months is almost R21-million over budget. George Mayor Melvin Naik has reached out to Provincial Treasury for help on this matter.

Municipal Manager Trevor Botha explained why George Municipality is experiencing personnel shortages. 

"The vacancy rate is calculated in line with the approved organisational structure. The organisational structure was approved, considering the fact that the filling of positions should be phased in over five to ten years. 

"Council on an annual basis approves the budget for the filling of vacancies, considering the most critical posts for service delivery, whereafter the recruitment and selection process takes place for the positions budgeted for. 

"At this stage the financial capacity does not exist to budget for all positions on the approved organisation structure."

Botha said George is growing rapidly and the high level and standard of service delivery necessitates an incremental expansion of the staff component of the municipality. 

"We are however mindful to act in a responsible manner to ensure that the salary budget remains within affordable limits."

To fix or not to fix
DA Councillor Mercia Draghoender addressed the overtime budget dilemma in Council, saying that the budget committee cuts nearly three quarters of the overtime budget. She said the budget for overtime will have to be adjusted and a decision will have to be taken on the service level standards of the George Municipality. 

"If a pipe bursts in for instance Loerie Park, people can't wait, they must go immediately and repair that," she said.

George Mayor Melvin Naik said it's unacceptable that with just four months left, we have only spent 15% of our capital budget, compared to 27% in 2017.

"Go Slow" perception
Since the council meeting there has been a perception among George residents that workers are on a "go slow", not putting in overtime hours when calls are logged, in order to curb overtime costs. 

On Monday, water was bubbling in the car park in front of Mr Suit Hire, and running over the pavement, down into the parking bays next to the road. An enquiry was sent to George Municipality, asking if officials and workers are still working overtime and responding to after-hour call-outs.

Director of Civil Engineering Services, Reggie Wesso, said the assistance service has been shortened due to affordability levels, but normal service delivery during normal hours is not affected. 

"Assistance staff is on duty daily between 16:30 and 00:30 and was recently shortened from a 24-hour service due to affordability levels of the municipality," said Wesso. 

"Between 00:30 and when normal service is resumed at 07:45 there will be no service, but the situation will be monitored and a team will be restored if it becomes inevitable. Assistance hours on Saturdays are between 07:45 and 20:00 and Sundays between 07:45 and 16:30."

The George Herald is still awaiting feedback on the reasons why, after eight months, only 15% of the capital budget has been spent. 

Questions were sent two weeks ago asking why George Municipality is behind in the spending of the capital budget, how the issue will be addressed and what the consequences will be of not spending it all.

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