CITY Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. has vetoed a newly passed city council for ordinance that granted a condonation of penalties, interest and surcharges on back taxes due from owners of for-rent picnic sheds at Tondaligan Park.

In his veto message sent to Vice Mayor and council presiding officer Belen T. Fernandez, the mayor said the ordinance is illegal because it was enacted without a public hearing and that there was no request whatsoever from his office for the passage of the measure.

The ordinance was passed when the presiding officer was Councilor Michael Fernandez. It sought condonation of some P1.6 million due from the picnic shed owners at Tondaligan.

City Legal Officer George Mejia said that on instruction of Mayor Fernandez, he earlier talked with delinquent shed owners who promised to pay all their back taxes by March 15.

“If they can not comply, they will be asked to voluntarily pull out or demolish their picnic sheds, otherwise the city government will do it for them,” he said.

In his veto message, the mayor said that the request for condonation of penalties, interest and surcharges needs further study by the city treasurer who will then make the proper recommendation to him.

At the same time, Fernandez said such condonation is prejudicial to the public welfare and unfair to other shed owners who have been regularly paying their taxes to the government. (PNA)