Before the sweeping municipal victory of March first, the UDP had gone 12 years without a victory in any major national election, and had been out of City Hall for 16 years. That's a long dry spell, and so when that changed in the city, something had to also changed in the self image of the UDP, the party that had so long fought to be a winner, now has to manage success and the image of a winner. Well today it had its first shot at that new role in the media capital when the new city council was sworn in. The party played to the audience with both fanfare and hard facts but how did it come off? Keith Swift was there to gauge.
Keith Swift Reporting,
It was a municipal inauguration sanctioned by the presence of national personalities. This afternoon diplomats, politicians, and businessmen gathered under these big red and green tents on North Front Street. The guest list included the U.S. Ambassador, the Mexican Ambassador, the Chief Justice and two Supreme Court judges, UDP mayors from across the country and it also include what would swell to hundreds of supporters. They were all there to see the main attraction, Mayor Zenaida Moya and her 10 councilors who made their entrance to a standing ovation.
Minutes later Mayor elect Zenaida Moya officially became the first female mayor of Belize City when she signed on the dotted lines and took the oath. Senior J.P. Robert Mossiah and city administrator Colwin Flowers were the witnesses.
Zenaida Moya,
[Reading Pledge] "I Zenaida Moya being duly elected as a member of the Belize City Council, do solemnly swear that I shall at all times, to the best of my abilities, exercise the powers and perform the duties of my office in the best interest of the residents of Belize City…"
That process was repeated for all ten councilors. It is an oath of allegiance their party leader dean barrow says he will hold them to.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"These are the persons that have been elected, these are the persons that are completely autonomous. But there is a gold standard that the party has set for itself and that the party has set for all those that represent the party and it is the job of the party to hold the city councilors to that standard and it is a job that the party is capable of doing it, it is a job the party will do. I this afternoon want to charge this new Belize City Council with always coming clean with the media and with the public."
And this afternoon Mayor Moya did just that in her first report from City Hall.
Zenaida Moya,
"Given the present Belize City Council's financial position, the newly elected city council will have to urgent measures to ensure that the revenue collection efforts are given the utmost priority and that expenditures are brought in line to create a healthy financial position."
It was news to no one but Moya confirmed that City Hall is running on empty. But more than just broke, Moya revealed that the city is swaddled in debt. It was a sour note to a day of celebrations and Moya says the books tell a tale of multi-million dollar sanitation contracts with huge arrears.
Zenaida Moya,
"The council is financing four contracts for sanitation and the garbage services at a monthly expenditure of $582,769.30. The council is in arrears to the north and south side contracts to the tune of $2,074,572.15 as at February 2006. The specific amounts are Belize Maintenance Company, $1,234,600.00; SEL North $414,646.80; and SEL south side $425,325.35.
In addition to the monthly sanitation expenditure of $582,769.20, the council is also paying off three commercial loans; two at the Alliance Bank and one at the Belize Bank for a total monthly expenditure of $125,593.81."
Mayor Moya says while the debt is high, revenue is low.
Zenaida Moya,
"Estimated revenue for the fiscal year 2005/2006 was projected to be $21,223,075.04. The actual revenue collected at February 28th 2006 was $13,045,950.39. With less than a month remaining in fiscal year 2005-2006, there is no doubt that projected revenue will not be realized."
Moya says the council is operating on a $9 million deficit and they hope to close that gap with incentives to taxpayers such as a 10% rebate for paying your property tax in full. Moya this afternoon also confirmed to 7NEWS that they hope to renegotiate some of those commercial loans and attempt to collect outstanding loans such as a $200,000 salary advance to the former mayor.
Zenaida Moya,
"We will ensure that all this information is passed and our legal counsel will work with us to bring these funds back to City Hall."
Keith Swift,
So the council wants that money back and will work on getting it back?
Zenaida Moya,
"Of course Keith, that is why we were elected."
Keith Swift,
What about the status of the City Hall property and building?
Zenaida Moya,
"Well we have been asking just about everybody that we can to ensure that we own this building. What we have been informed is that it is mortgaged. We have asked the persons what was it mortgaged for, they don't know. We've been asking a lot of questions but we are working on that and we are hoping that in fact this City Hall does belong to the residents of Belize City."
And so the UDP Eleven led by Moya seem ready to govern - we are not just sure if it will be from this City Hall.
Wayne Usher is the deputy mayor. Portfolio assignments were also detailed today and those are as follows: Moya holds on to budget economic development and human resources; Wayne Usher gets sanitation and HIV/Aids; Laura Esquivel will be the liaison for the NGOs and civil society along with parks; Mark King gets crime and special constables; Hyacinth Latchman gets foreign relations and social services; Anthony Michael gets drain and urban development; Gilroy Middleton gets zoning and after school programmes; Leila Peyrefitte heads finance and markets; Calvert Quilter takes on small business initiatives and tourism; Dean Samuels gets the Traffic Department and special events; and Phillip Willoughby gets youth, culture, sports, and unions.
