The property tax fund storm continues: At a joint management meeting of the local government center and the regional government center held today (Thursday), it was decided to continue the fight against the “property fund” law. At the meeting, it was decided, among other things, to “transfer the measures of the struggle to harm the government and not the residents”, and as a result, the strike in the local authorities will be stopped and they will appeal to the court.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich appealed to the YMCA demanding independent representation on the issue of the local government strike: “Your response to the industrialists’ petition does not represent my position,” he wrote. He further added: “This is a wild and illegal strike, which constitutes an abuse of power and an abdication of the local government’s duty to its residents . The strike goes against previous rulings of the Supreme Court. I read with astonishment the ‘state response’ presented yesterday by the High Courts department to the petition in question, which concerned the petition of the manufacturers’ association against the local government’s decision to disable its services or part of them as part of its fight against the ‘Property Fund Law’ promoted by the government as part of the Arrangements Law. It was expected that some Those who are entrusted with the representation of the interests of the state and its citizens, will not sit on the fence with some weak response, but will stand firm against the strike.”
As I recall, after a stormy debate in the Finance Committee, the law establishing the property tax fund passed last Monday to a second and third reading by a majority of 10 members of the Knesset against eight opponents.
The local authorities of course objected, and the local government went out to fight against the initiative. The opponents’ claim is that this is a major blow to the authorities and that this will not help in solving the housing crisis. Others said that political considerations are behind the proposal, the aim of which is to weaken the local government headed by Haim Biebs.
