Petition launched against property tax increase in Bratislava

A petition was launched on Monday asking Bratislava mayor Ivo Nesrovnal and city councillors to scrap a regulation aimed at increasing immovable property taxes that is set to enter into force as of January 2016. Nesrovnal originally proposed a 100-percent increase in taxes, but later changed this to a 70-percent increase for apartments and houses, while raising it for building plots. City councillors are to discuss the regulation this month. The petition was drawn up by civil association Bratislava for People and is so far available only in electronic form. "The city has large financial reserves in its own management and the management of city companies and organisations. If the mayor forgives a fine worth €3.7 million for a company that didn't fulfil its contractual obligations connected with the construction of a tram line to the Petržalka borough, he has no moral right to collect this money from people", said Bratislava for People chairman and councillor for the borough of Devínska Nova Ves, Rastislav Tešovič. A spokesperson for the city Ivana Skokanová said that the adjusted proposal increases the taxes for building plots by 50 percent in order to incentivise construction workers to complete their work as soon as possible. It should bring an extra €7 million per year into the city budget; half for the city itself and half to be distributed among all boroughs.