Today the UDP City Council started work to pave Banak Street. It should be nothing but good publicity for the council. It's only 1,100 feet, but Banak is one of the absolute worse streets in the city and the paving is welcome. But still there's a controversy. The councilor in charge of paving streets is Anthony Michael. He solicited three tenders for the paving of the street and passed them unto the Mayor. To his surprise, none of those who submitted the tenders started paving the street. That surprise ending and the involvement of UDP standard bearer Edmund Castro, a friend of the man awarded the contract, has sparked controversy and this afternoon we went to investigate.
Anthony Michael, Belize City Councilor (UDP)
"I've been hearing several rumors around that the quotation that has been submitted by Mr. Bailey that the price is very very high. It was just brought to my knowledge this afternoon about 1:15 when I was notified that paving started on Banak Street. As far as I know, as the councilor in charge of Banak, work on Banak would not start as yet until the Mayor meets with the council and a decision has been made by the council, and the council approves based on the value for money, that Banak will start. So to my surprise I came out here and when I inquired what was happening, then it was brought to my knowledge that the contact has been awarded to Mr. Bailey and he has commenced work on it."
Jules Vasquez,
The paving of it is costing more than the City Council experts said it should have and that nonetheless the City Council has gone ahead.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, UDP Party Whip
"As I just said, I don't know if there is any veracity to what you are saying. I have no reason to believe that you are making up story but I would have to speak with the Mayor to find out if there is any truth to what you are saying. And if there is any truth to what you are saying, I Michael Finnegan condemns it and the UDP as an organization will condemn it."
Anthony Michael,
"I haven't seen the final draft of the contract that Mr. Bailey submitted to the Mayor. I would have to assume that the Mayor, based on the quotation that Mr. Bailey submitted to her, and based on the three quotations that my department submitted to her, that the Belizean people are getting value for money."
Jules Vasquez,
And what if in fact your assertion is wrong and they are not?
Anthony Michael,
"As an elected official of the city, I am not here to speculate or doubt the decision made by my mayor. Until we get proof in black and white, and when that happens if indeed that is, which I hope it is not, if that is so then the council will meet, we will ask the mayor rationale and how she made that decision, and then the media and the Belizean people will know about it."
Wayne Usher, Deputy Mayor (Acting)
"Maybe the breakdown in communication came between myself and the councilor in that we want to execute quickly and it was approved and I didn't know of prior discussions, if they had, between Anthony and the Mayor. I suspected that they were and the other contractors so when I saw the signature I said this was the end product of all the discussions, it's approved, and let's go. So I am implementing as the acting Mayor so I executed. Maybe I should have communicated that we are fast tracking this thing starting Monday."
Jules Vasquez,
The tender from the person who was awarded the contract was not submitted by Councilor Michael. He said that he submitted to the mayor three tenders and that the one that was approved had not been included among those that he submitted.
Wayne Usher,
"That's even better. The more tenders, the better so we have a wider choice. That is even better that we had a fourth tender."
Jules Vasquez,
Can residents be satisfied that the tender that was awarded was in fact the lowest bid?
Wayne Usher,
"That I cannot answer directly but what I can tell you from knowledge of how Mr. Bailey operates, Mr. Bailey from time immemorial that I know, has always come in and the lower end of all contracts that I know of. In other words I believe sincerely that his is probably the best we could get from any contractor but I haven't looked at the others to be honest. But I know the man, I know who we are dealing it."
Jules Vasquez,
What's Mr. Castro' involvement in this? Some have intimated that he has a business interest in this contract.
Wayne Usher,
"What I can tell you is Mr. Bailey and Mr. Castro are friends. Mr. Bailey has also been a very good supporter of Mr. Castro in his decision that he is running for and I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't necessarily see that there is a connection with the work that Mr. Castro does and Mr. Bailey does."
And what is Castro's answer to all this speculation about his involvement in the possible awarding of a bloated contract to one of his friends and associates. Well we caught up with the UDP standard bearer for Belize Rural North today and he said he's just an advisor and everything else is just talk.
Edmund Castro,
"Basically I am helping with the coordination of the works from city council. The mayor had asked me from the time they were elected to assist them as it relates to paving of streets in the city so basically that is my involvement in it."
Jules Vasquez,
Are you paid to do this, are you hired by the city council to oversee civil works?
Edmund Castro,
"Zero dollars. I get zero dollars from the city council to do this kind of work. I am doing it because I am a party loyalist and I would like to see more than just one street get paved a month."
Jules Vasquez,
You have a business relationship with Mr. Bailey. Did you use your influence to get him the contract for this work? Did you personally take Mr. Bailey's contract in and as an advisor secured for him the contract?
Edmund Castro,
"No such thing. I did not even know Mr. Bailey turned in a contract. I also do not know how many people turned in contracts to the city council for any job."
Jules Vasquez,
But you rent trucks from Mr. Bailey and he rents trucks from you so all have a business relationship.
Edmund Castro,
"Yes but I did not ask him to submit...I did not know what street we were going to do next. I was involved in advising them as to some of the streets that needed to be paved. I don't think there is a controversy. I think it is pure garbage because the people of this people need their streets paved and the streets are getting paved so I don't see what is the problem. If somebody doesn't like that the streets are getting paved, they should go on the news and say it is a wrong thing for people on Banak Street to get their street paved. It is ridiculous."
While this little controversy simmers, the backdrop to it is that the mayor, who is away on official business, has also dropper her name into the national convention hat, offering herself as party Chairman, challenging Douglas Singh.
