Last night, we showed you our interview with Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley in which we asked him directly if recent differences inside his council had him considering resignation 3 months before municipal elections.
As we told you, he's been waging a public and private battle resisting the Government commitment to hire those 170 BML workers next year at the end of the contract with the sanitation company. Bradley says that taking on of these employees will excessively burden the council's finances.
Then, there is the outcome of the City Administrator's contract which was renewed against his wishes when he was outvoted by his council members - which we are told is a first, though he says otherwise. Also, there is difficulty he has been having with getting Central Government support to renovate the Commercial Center in Downtown Belize City.
He recently packed up his office, giving the impression that he was leaving for good, and when he asked him about it last night before the start of news, he says that he has no intention of going anywhere.
It was aired last night unedited, and so tonight, we revisit important portions - some of which weren't included in the first airing. Here's a few of those snippets:
Daniel Ortiz
"We have received persistent reports that you have tendered your resignation and that is has not been accepted, have you done such thing?"
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"I don't know where you get that from because it makes no sense for somebody to resign 3 months at the end of their office. I am the mayor of Belize City, I will remain the mayor of Belize City. We have an election in a very short period of time, it makes absolutely no sense for someone to resign."
Daniel Ortiz
"But sir we have received persistent reports from persons who interact with you regularly. They told us you have said to them, look I the roll, I am tired of this. Has that happened?"
Darrell Bradley
"No, the mayor's term is 3 years. There's no resignation, I haven't resigned, I'm not intending to resign. I'm out here, we're finalizing the municipal workers regulation. That was something I was talking to the various media houses on. I'm hoping this can go into effect the 17th of December. We're looking at starting our commercial centre project, which is right behind us."
Daniel Ortiz
"But sir we are told that you've been having difficulty with getting that buy in from central government for this commercial center renovation and that has caused you some grief."
Darrell Bradley
"To tell me that the job of mayor and to be in politics is difficult, is to tell me nothing. To tell me you're going to get opposition and obstacles and problems, is to tell me nothing. People elected me to be a problem solver, so bring solutions. I think we've done a lot of that."
Daniel Ortiz
"We're told that you've been resisting accepting those BML workers on that central government has committed to. We also received information that you're out voted for the renewal of the city administrator's contract and we're told that was the straw that broke the camel's back."
Darrell Bradley
"Let me make clear, I am regularly outvoted in city council. The city council is a democracy, there's 11 people, I'm the mayor, I chair the meeting. But in terms of the authority, the council has to vote on resolutions and sometimes we have division of opinion, that's part of being a leader."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, but we're told that you did make such an utterance - an utterance like that "I di roll" from somebody like you, it seems not an idle threat to take likely - "I get enough" - that's what we were told."
Darrell Bradley
"I don't understand your question. You can ask me specific questions in relations to whether or not I am concern about the taking on of the BML workers. I've indicated to you as I have indicated on the media before that this is something that I have difficulty in doing because of the financial impact that that will have on the council."
Daniel Ortiz
"Are you still onboard with your party in this re-election push for March?"
Darrell Bradley
"I think that the UDP is doing an awesome job."
Daniel Ortiz
"These things that we have been told that you disagree with your party for your constituency."
Darrell Bradley
"No, let me make this clear, Darrell Bradley does not disagree with the UDP in any respect."
Daniel Ortiz
"We are not talking about the goals and ideals, we are talking about specific instances where the party has intervene in your operation as city councilor."
Darrell Bradley
"But again, I mean a government is multiple players. To tell me that there is disagreement in a political organization is to tell me nothing. To tell me that men and women can debate and argue and have divergent views, but at the end of the day, come together with one thing and make it work, I mean that's what people elect you for. I am sure in your news media everybody doesn't always agree, but to say that that disagreement, spirals into something that is unmanageable, I don't see where you jump from one to another. We are a political persons, I am a leader, I look at things in a very forensic and analytical way."
And despite his protestations we do know that the mayor has been spending less time in city hall and more time at his law office.
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