Political sparks are flying in the Belmopan City Council - and the new Mayor Khalid Belisle is being accused of nepotism - not on his own behalf, but on the part of his political patron, Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar. The allegations come after head of the engineering section Javier Novelo was released at the end of March - after the new council decided not to renew his contract. Now, he had requested a renewal months ago and outgoing UDP Mayor Simeon Lopez expressed an interest in renewing it. Lopez did so knowing that he was retiring and wouldn't be around when the contract expired on March 31st - sort of like writing a cheque he wouldn't be around to cash. And when the new mayor Belisle refused to cash it - Lopez cried foul - here's what he told Belmopan's Plus TV yesterday.
Simeon Lopez, Former Mayor
"I was quite surprise and shocked when I understood that his contract was not renewed as of the end of March. I don't know why so abruptly his contract was terminated, because the contract specifies that you need to express your interest or renewal at least three months before your expiration date, and he did that. I know that he had been experiencing some difficulty with one of the City Administrators who was there, and at the time I was the one who was protecting him more than anything. And then after the new Council was elected, I know the same City Administrator had come in to do what they call a transition period, and that was one of her recommendations to not renew the contract of Mr. Novelo. I understand it was done by a round robin phone calls from the office of the Council to the other elected Councilors."
The former City Administrator he's talking about is Angela Wade. She worked under Lopez until months before the end of his term and was brought in by the Belisle Council to manage the transition. That's fine and well, but, she is also John Saldivar's sister - and the person who took Novelo's job happens to be her husband. It has all the ingredients of the perfect storm of nepotism but today Representative Saldivar and Mayor Belisle denied it today.
Saldivar told us, quote, "I had absolutely no involvement in that decision. It was a decision made exclusively by the Mayor and his Council…I support their...right to put in place a management team of their choosing. This should be the prerogative of any incoming administration…"
Mayor Belisle told us, quote, "We wanted bring in someone we felt comfortable working with. There was no external influence...no pressure for anyone...it was a decision that the council arrived at on our own."
He added that Wade did not recommend the non renewal of Novelo's contract, and, said, quote
"It was unfair of him (Simeon Lopez) to say what he did..."
And by that he is referring to the fact that Lopez gave Novelo an undertaking for the life of a city council he knew he would not be a part of. Belisle noted that Lopez left several other decisions to the new council - but not that one.
PUP Senator and candidate for the Belmopan seat Mayor Patrick Andrews is not impressed with the disavowals. He sent out a statement today saying its emblematic of, quote, "the political arrogance that has become the hallmark of the udp." He alleges that Novelo was sent home because, quote, "(he) refused to certify payments for inferior quality street works," end quote, and alleges that the new staff alignment is, quote, "placing the cat to mind the cheese".
And while Senator Andrews urges Mayor Belisle to reverse his actions, Belisle says that's not going to happen. He stressed that the council members were duly consulted on the change and are comfortable with it. He added that the new Engineer, Mr. Wade is only a temporary hold over for six months until the council finds a full time replacement. Wade worked for years at the engineering section of the Ministry of Works.
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