The Steve Tshwete Local Municipality held its last Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and Budget Consultative Meetings this week.

This follows a week of meetings in different wards about the upcoming formal implementation of the 2025/2026 budget, which will begin on July 1.

The consultative meetings were held by the respective ward councillors and municipal officials who presented the budget draft.

Residents also tabled concerns such as high tariffs, stormwater drainage system challenges, ongoing illegal dumping sites, and slow RDP house allocations.

They went on to tell the officials about their concerns about the lack of cemetery space in the municipality and job creation.

In Ward 7, the residents mentioned the construction of the reservoir and additional water tanks, and the need for tar roads.

Residents in farm areas also want toilets.

The municipality said some farm areas have completed toilets, while some projects are ongoing.

In Ward 26, residents would like a school built in the area and more business opportunities.

After the conclusion of the meetings, the municipality will consolidate the matters raised by residents.

This will follow by the end of the financial year on June 30.

On July 1, the new budget will come into effect, and the electricity tariffs will kick in.

• In April, the Middelburg Observer reported that the new budget will give more provisions for salary increases.

The council approved a 2.5% salary increase for councillors, effective from July 2024.

Councillors are currently graded at level 4 but will receive level 5 benefits, resulting in an additional R679 481 expenditure for the municipality.

The municipality scored 66.67 points based on its 2023/2024 total municipal income of R1.865b.

The salary increases are as follows:

• Mayor: R1 181 792 per annum (increase of R28 824), speaker: R945 430 per annum (increase of R23 059), chief whip: R886 343 per annum (increase of R21 618), mayoral committee members: R5 318 058 per annum (increase of R129 708), councillors: R15 307 309 per annum (increase of R373 346).

The gazetted increases amount to R27 858 975, which the municipality claims it can afford, including back pay.