The producers of Azul went to court to stop a new rate for "Essential Services" created by the mayor of that Buenos Aires town, Nelsón Sombra, from Unión por la Patria: they
filed an appeal for protection to suspend the payment and consider the unconstitutionality of the tax.
"They tried to prevent the ordinance from coming out. We had meetings with councilors from all sides and even with the incoming Mayor, but they kept going.
There was no way to stop it and the only way was to go to court
," commented the producer. and director of the Argentine Rural Society,
Martín Salgado.
The mayor of Azulejo only took office on December 10, but together with the outgoing official, Hernán Bertellys, he achieved approval in the Deliberative Council of a new rate that agricultural producers consider a huge tax.
The collective presentation presented to Justice by the Sociedad Rural de Azul was
endorsed by 190 producers
, representing about 190,000 hectares of the district, 30% of the total (covering 640,000 hectares).
He also commented that another group of producers initiated other lawsuits to stop the tax promoted by the mayor.
According to Salgado,
the rate began to be collected in January,
but he stressed that only
between 30% and 40% of the total that
was expected to be collected from the new tax would have been collected.
"On the same bill where the road tax is paid, they included the fee for Essential Services. It can be paid separately but for that you have to go to the municipality and ask them to split the bill. It is a hassle because you have to do it personally" , said.
Tax
Sombra's original project was for the rate to be the equivalent of one liter of diesel per month per hectare, and two liters of diesel per front, and the proceeds would be used to cover the costs of health, education, sports, disability inclusion, culture, recreation and transportation and street decoration and signage services, maintenance and conservation of squares, promenades, and playgrounds.
But under pressure from producers and many citizens, modifications were made.
-For urban properties: per month, the equivalent of 2 liters of common diesel at the YPF service station pump price corresponding to the 10th of the month in which the settlement is made.
-For urban properties located in the towns of Chillar, Cacharí and 16 de Julio, per month, per hectare, the equivalent of one liter of diesel.
-For rural properties located in barracks II, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX, per month, per hectare, the equivalent of one liter of diesel.
-For rural properties located in barracks III, IV, XI, XII and XIV, per month, per hectare, the equivalent of 3/4 liters of diesel.
-For rural properties located in barracks X, XIII, XV, XVI, XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX and XXI, per month, per hectare, the equivalent of half a liter of diesel.