Last week, the Orange Walk Town Council was plunged into a fiscal crisis when the Belize Bank froze the Town Council's operating account. But this week PUP Mayor Kevin Bernard is negotiating with the Belize Bank. He's agreed to have the council pay monthly to the outstanding balance of $111,000 dollars - left behind as an overdraft by the previous UDP council. Bernard says the Bank wants the council to pay $7,000 per month - which is almost a fifth of their monthly subvention. Tomorrow he'll meet with the Bank to ask them to lower that figure.
And while central Government has made it clear that the Orange Walk Town Council is on its own, Bernard at least has moral support from his brother UDP Mayor Darrell Bradley. Bradley almost went to jail behind contracted debts that were incurred by a previous PUP council. That's why he told us he's backing Bernard:
Mayor Darrell Bradley
"I will say that I agree with him. The situation with municipalities is that municipalities are underfunded and we are saddled with significant amounts of debts."
"When I have to face contempt proceedings in court because of a debt that I never created - because of a contract that I never signed - it inhibits our ability to deliver the kind of services that I think that people expect from municipalities."
"I could say that I lend support to him and I could say that I understand the reality in which he is place because we are talking in conference about economic development here. We are talking about moving our communities forward, investing in infrastructure. But, you can't look forward if you are always hand strong by the past."
"As a municipality, one of the things that we need to do is to support other municipalities in the same issues that they are facing because my objective is to see that the whole municipal movement in this country is strengthened. People expect better streets, but you can't build streets if you have to pay big judgment. That doesn't make any sense. How will that work?"
Bradley faced contempt proceedings for 2.3 million dollars the Belize City owes Belize Waste Control in arrears.
Email
Print