And while City Hall is battling government on the head tax issue, it's sternly advising it on the issue of crime. The Belize City Council today unveiled 17 point list of recommendations from the National Anti-Crime Association of Belize to the government. The list reads like an end all to crime across Belize and while it has grand hopes of sweeping national reform, it comes from a local authority - which doesn't have a friendly ear in Belmopan. Today Mayor Zenaida Moya endorsed the effort by councilor Mark King and former Leader of the Opposition Manuel Esquivel pointed out that the recommendations come directly from City Hall and the UDP had absolutely no input in them.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
"Crime and violence is increasingly becoming the norm and it aches my heart indeed to know that a lot of our Belizean families are being destroyed and their lives are changed as a result of crime. Today the Belize City Council will present a list of recommendations to the government of Belize as to how we can all assist in curbing crime and violence. I feel the time is appropriate for such an event. Indeed if it could have been done even earlier, it would have been better."
Rt. Hon. Manuel Esquivel, Former Prime Minister
"These recommendations are not intended to deal directly with crime and as you see they are recommendations for the government to take certain steps to make sure that we have the machinery in place first when we deal with crime. The Belize City Council represents the people of this city...this is a Belize City Council affair."
The recommendations will now be handed over to government for its considerations.
