Email

Print

He added that there were several other expenditures to consultants to the city, but no money went to any lawyer for the City Council, and for an avoidance of doubt, none of the council's finances was spent on his law firm. Here's how he explained it:

Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"That was the judgment is 1.2 million dollars that we paid Waste Control. Actually the breakdown that I gave you showed that that was paid over the last year in 3 installments and we also had to pay $50,000 to their attorney because of course this is matter which they have won and to the victor goes their cost, so we were liable to their cost when we had to agree on a settlement. Remember, they had written off one million dollars because the judgment was 2.2 million. We had negotiated with them, we have written off one million dollars. We agreed at 1.2 million dollars and then on top of that we had to pay their attorney $50,000. I want to be very clear. I don't want to mince any words, absolutely none of that money goes to Darrell Bradley for any legal work that Darrel Bradley has even done for the City Council. I am Mayor and I believe that if I am Mayor, the city gets to benefit every skill that I have. The matters that I've gone to court for, are only Waste Control and one of the reasons I did that was because part of it involved me myself, because they has committal proceedings, because these judgments were outstanding for some time."

"When you talk about legal fees and consultancy fees, it includes two things; it includes legal fees and consultancy fees. The City Council has quite a bit if consultants. For example: our auditors are consultants, because they do an audit, there is a fee that we pay for an audit. That would have been reflected in that lined item. We also have a special engineer that we have engaged, who is consulting engineer who supervises all of our streets works. This is a gentleman by the name of Omar Tut, he worked once for IDB and he is very reputable and he ensures that our on the ground works are done well. He gets a salary roughly about $65,000 per year - that's a consultancy fee. He bills us as a consultant pursuant to a contract."

"Other things for example, when we design parks and different things like that, would have been included in that lined item. The audit is done by independent persons. If there was any irregularity, which shows that the mayor receives funds above his salary, the auditors would have flagged that and that would have been something I suspected would have been immediately reported on the news."

And while the mayor deflected attacks on that front, at its Manifesto Launch on Saturday, the PUP criticized many of the mayor's policy decisions. Here's what he had to say about it:

Daniel Ortiz
"It was always a suggestion that your council have benefitted greatly with the help of central government, where as other municipalities don't get the same treatment."

Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"Yes, we have benefitted tremendously from the goodwill and the partnership with central government. Remember, that we did the municipal bond which was 20 million dollars, that paved a little over 100 streets, together BTL Park, Battlefield Park and it paid off our overdraft facility. So, we are operating the City Council overdraft free. When that was finished, the central government came in with an additional 10 million dollars and that has paid for significant amount of work works implemented by the Belize City Council. I have benefitted tremendously from the Cariled Project. We benefitted tremendously from many international projects and you know one of the things when those people come to us and they say that they like working with Belize City, because we have a plan and we have vision. Money follows planning and vision,"

Daniel Ortiz
"Suggestion is that where you've gone about concreting the different streets, also inequitable."

Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"The most expensive street and the most significant project, which again is a partnership between the municipality and the central government - the Central American Boulevard. So, I don't understand this kind of allegation in relation to there being disparities between the Northside or the Southside - that's political mischief that comes in an election year."

"You want certain commercial areas of your city and when I mean commercial, I don't mean well-to-do areas, I mean commercial areas of your city to look pristine because that creates what is called a multiplier effect. If downtown Belize City is robust and thriving, that creates a level of economic opportunity that's stimulating. That's makes for sensible policy and sensible government. So, to say that there are certain streets in Belize City which we have ignored - that's a fair criticism. We've not done those streets. So, there are areas for example, the Gungulung areas - we are going to upgrade some of those streets before elections. But the people rightly feel neglected - that's a fair criticism, but it's not because we are bad minded. It's not because of neglect."

And in relation to the question raised about City Hall's decision to build streets without drains, Bradley told us that this was by design. He said that when the streets were planned, it was made clear to them that city residents wanted better streets, before the drains could be cemented. That, and the shortage of funds, led the council to decide that earthen drains will be maintained at this time. He asserts that to build drains in certain areas cost more than the concreting works of the streets.

So, what does the Mayor think about Schakron's pitch to the Belize City residents that she's willing to work for free? Well, when we asked today, he wasn't too impressed. In fact, he called it "stupid":

Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"I have due respect for Mrs. Schakron. I believe every person who offers themselves for public office, does so and should get that respect, that going up for electoral office means. One thing I would say, we have never been about promises. We have never been about superficial solutions - that are aspirant for any political office - say - If I become mayor, I will forego my salary - I'll give it to charity - that's sounds nice. When you look at things in terms of an audit report and you say, that mayor goes to court. Why is he spending 1.2 million dollars on something that "allegedly" looks like legal fees? That sounds nice, but we are not about that. I think that the residents of Belize City are much more concern with having a mayor who works and that is what you have had over the last 3 years. I have been at this office for early in the morning to late in the evening. Be realistic. People want a mayor who will work and for the last 3 years, I can assure you Darrell Bradley has been working and if we win again for the next 3 years, I am going to work. I will not tell you any fluff, I will not give you no election promise and I will not tell you anything that sounds nice, but in reality is really ridiculous. What I advocate, and this is the leadership that I think that we need to move on. Not any kind of thing which has somebody saying that I will give up a salary. To me that's kind of stupid. What you want to hear is ideas."

The mayor says that he is willing to have a debate with all mayoral candidates for Belize City.