BusinessAugust 20, 2026
ratepayers
RAYT-pay-erz
Definition
People who pay local property taxes or municipal rates, which fund public services and local government projects.
Etymology
The word is a compound of 'rate,' meaning a local tax, and 'payer,' derived from the Middle English 'paien.' It evolved in British and Commonwealth English to specifically refer to those who pay municipal taxes to a local authority.
In the news
The article uses the term to identify the local residents whose tax money is being used to fund the new sea wall artwork. It highlights the accountability of the City Council to those individuals who contribute to the municipal budget.
£16,000 spend on sea wall art will ‘protect and support’ local artists
Read the full article ↗Isle of Man Today