By now it's no secret that the Belize City council is broke, the mayor himself has said so on numerous occasions.
It's a financial reality that's held them back from providing many of the normal services intrinsic to a functioning city. And for many residents of Belize City, the biggest failure can be seen in the city's multitude of potholes and unpaved streets.
Earlier this week, we asked the mayor about this failing, but he deflected, and focused instead on one thing that he's proud to say the council has gotten right.
Cherisse Halsall:
"Again, we all understand all the challenges, how many streets thought has your administration been able to pave?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"I can't answer that right now but we have done a number of streets and despite the effects of Covid we have done a number of streets and I have to say that we came in, this council came in at the time when we were needed to really lead this city, to charter this city, to be there for the people, our staff has remained intact without any termination and that is my biggest thing that we have been able to pay our workers each and every single payday."
FREE THERAPY FOR BELIZE
And, finally tonight Belizean families will be able to receive free Occupational, Behavioral, Language, and Speech therapy.
It's all part and parcel of a memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministries of Education, Youth and E-Governance, and Human Development and The Chicago-based company Therapy adventures. That M.O.U. seeks not only to deliver these much-needed therapies but also to build Belizean capacity to do so.
It all starts this week when a representative from the company visits Belize to tour the sites and to discuss the necessary steps to get the much-needed services offered by early 2022.
Those therapies are expected to be carried out at the Mexico Sports Center in Belize City and at the three University of Belize classrooms in Belmopan, both of those locations have adequate floor space to be converted into Occupational therapy gyms.
