THE legislative and executive departments of the Cebu City Government will hold a joint conference to achieve a common ground on the proposed tax increase and P50-billion budget for 2023.

Councilor Noel Wenceslao said the meeting between the two branches hopes to yield a united direction amid the ongoing public hearing for the tax code revision and next year’s funds. Wenceslao, who chairs the committee on budget and finance, said the conference is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022.

Mayor Michael Rama, all city councilors, members of the Local Finance Committee, and other officials of the executive department will attend the meeting.

“Our agenda is more on the revision (of taxes). We will huddle on that to determine the way of increasing taxes and number two is the budget,” said Wenceslao in a mix of Cebuano and English.

During the public hearing for the proposed tax code revision, some councilors expressed concerns over the increase which is deemed “excessive and oppressive” to the people.

Wenceslao earlier explained the increase in real property taxes would depend on their fair market value of the properties. Some properties may even have up to 7,000 percent increase in taxes. (IRT)