We also asked the Mayor about reports we received that City Hall wants to expand cemetery services for the municipality. As viewers are aware, Belize City has long since outgrown the Lord Ridge Cemetery, and so, the Council is looking at viable options to address this need.
Here's what the Mayor had to say:
Daniel Ortiz
"The Counsel, supposedly again maybe another mischief-making attempt has earmarked $100,000 to expand the Lord Ridge Cemetery."
Bernard Wagner - Mayor, Belize City Council
"Lord Ridge can't expand any further. If an explanation is to occur, it will occur at the other facility, [the] Eternal Gardens area up there. But certainly, I was giving a cost estimate of the works to really expand because we are really running out of graves spaces at our facility on the highway. So that cost has come to me, and it will be tabled to the council. I don't know about any contention or any situation arising out of that right now."
Daniel Ortiz
"So can you assure us that the contract won't end up in some very friendly or family-related person of the councilors. where you have other people who may have a better bid?"
Bernard Wagner
"I can't assure you of that, but I'm certain that these are tabled as a council, and the council makes the decision. So, I just put the question as a chair at the caucus at the end of the day. At the end of the day, the council members will determine who is awarded the expansion of our facility."
