3 cruise ships carrying seven thousand visitors arrive tomorrow but at this hour no one can say if the buses they go touring on will be allowed free passage across the city. At newstime, Opposition Leader Dean Barrow was in late evening meetings with the mayor and her council trying to reach a compromise that would allow the buses free movement while also giving the council its demanded head tax. To backtrack a bit, this afternoon the City Council announced that it would be taking unspecified actions to demonstrate very clearly to central government that it must, must be given US$1 from the US$7 per person head tax.
What are those actions? Well reports tell us the council will block streets and immobilize the approximately 65 cruise buses which will be transporting thousands of cruise visitors. It's one heck of a gambit, and at a press conference this afternoon, the Mayor explained why they must take decisive action.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor - Belize City
"The Belize City Council then has no other recourse than to call on the residents of this city to join us as we undertake whatever actions we must undertake to pressure the government into releasing those funds. We will not refrain from taking any action that is necessary to secure these funds for the city of Belize."
But what are those actions? They mayor guarded her hand closely
Zenaida Moya,
"Any actions that may be taken, we simply cannot disclose those actions. We have authority to do certain things in our power to show this government that we are serious about getting that US$1. Rest assure, the repercussions that may be had from such an uprising may leave the central government hoping that they had in fact given this UDP Belize City Council that measly US$1."
What she did say is that those non specific actions may cause you inconvenience.
Zenaida Moya,
"We will ask the residents of Belize City to note that there may be some inconveniences as early as tomorrow, that for them to be aware and to acknowledge that everything and anything that will be done, is being done on their behalf to secure a US$1 Of US$7 head tax."
Reports to 7NEWS suggest that they may block streets - which would be disruptive, but not illegal for a municipal authority.
Zenaida Moya,
"Rest assured Mr. Vasquez that anything and everything we do will be done within our own authority as the Belize City Council."
And if they do immobilize the cruise industry - it could cripple an industry already in decline. Moya says she has been consulting.
Zenaida Moya,
"Just this morning my team and I met with owners of the local private port agency and leading tour operators who are major stakeholders in the cruise tourism industry. We assured them of our commitment to act responsibly in this matter, in order to protect this vital industry."
Protect the industry but the Councils say it has not choice it must protect its constituency first.
Zenaida Moya,
"The Belize City Council's first responsibility is to act on behalf of the residents we were elected to represent and those residents are insisting that we must continue to intensify our efforts in this regard."
Wayne Usher, Deputy Mayor
"We are asking, we are talking, having dialogue, we are writing, and we are meeting face to face to put our case forward. Now I put it to you Jules, if we've been doing all of this, systematically and correct within the law and still fail to get the desired result that the country and the city of Belize rightly deserve, what then should we do I ask. What then should we do?"
Of course the question now is now what should they do, but what will they do.
