THE Cagayan de Oro City Council is looking into giving incentives to owners of vacant lots who will allow its use for free public parking.
Earlier, Councilor Lordan Suan, the author of the proposed ordinance said a tax exemption could be given to the owners of these idle lands. However, the City Legal Office initially said any proposal for exemption from ad valorem tax or the real property tax on idle lands is premature.
The legal office said the move would be premature considering that the city is not imposing any ad valorem tax on idle lands at present. The City Assessor's Office said a city ordinance should be crafted first to impose the ad valorem tax.
City Councilor George Goking said that there is no need to pass another ordinance on tax, as the city government will implement this, using the public-private partnership for the people (P4) initiative project.
Goking said the P4 provides implementing rules and regulations to policies on traffic, social housing, and education among others.
“Converting idle lands to public parking spaces falls to the traffic category because it is a means to at least ease the traffic situation in the city. More parking lots especially in the commercial district means that more space in our city streets,” Goking said.
The P4 ordinance allows the city government to tap investors and other private partners for target projects. In turn, the city could give these private companies a tax holiday for partnering with the city.