A piece of good news for taxpayers who usually pay their IPTU on time and have no outstanding debts from previous years came out of this afternoon’s meeting of the Finance Committee. The report was approved today and clears the way for a floor vote on Bill 319/2010, which establishes the "Prize IPTU Program" in Joinville, an incentive that will reward residents and is also an attempt by the Executive Branch to increase municipal revenue.
The bill originated with the city government. The message sent to the City Council justifying it is from Deputy Mayor Ingo Butzke, who notes that a similar initiative already exists in cities such as Osasco (SP), Marabá (PA), Santa Rita do Sapucaí (MG), Nilópolis (RJ), São Sebastião (SP), and Natal (RN).
As Butzke explains, the program mechanism is simple: it consists of setting aside 0.2% of the previous year’s IPTU revenue for the purchase of goods, which will be raffled among taxpayers who meet the criteria set forth in Bill 319/2010. To provide greater transparency to the program, if the bill is approved and signed into law, the drawings will be conducted by the Federal Lottery.
At this afternoon’s meeting, the council members of the Finance Committee received interim Municipal Finance Secretary Flávio Martins Alves, who provided further clarification to the lawmakers. But the bill’s fate had already been decided. The rapporteur, councilman Belini Meurer, presented a recommendation for approval, which was accepted by the other members.
"It is worth remembering that there is a major advance in the introduction of this type of bill, because until now only delinquent taxpayers were benefited, and, while waiting for yet another law that could bring them advantages, they became habitual debtors," Meurer argued.
Under the bill’s text—which may already appear on the regular agenda of next week’s sessions, according to a decision by the Board of Officers—only taxpayers current on this year’s IPTU, with no debts from previous years, whose IPTU liability is not suspended due to judicial or administrative action, and who do not receive benefits of immunity, exemption, or non-incidence will be eligible for the drawings.
The text also bars from the drawing taxpayers who are up to date on the tax but whose urban-area properties are in a state of abandonment. The mayor, deputy mayor, municipal secretaries, directors, advisers, municipal attorneys, and other commissioned positions in the direct and indirect administration, as well as council members and their relatives up to the third degree, are also ineligible.
To acquire the goods to be raffled through the Federal Lottery, the municipality will comply with the provisions of Law 8,666/93, the public procurement law. Prizes must be claimed by taxpayers within 90 days after each drawing. Bill 319/2010 must be regulated within 180 days after enactment, if it does become law. The expenses for acquiring the goods will be covered by the budget of the Municipal Finance Department.