A head tax deadlock between the City Council and the Belize Tourism Board was averted in January when government caved in and agreed to give City Hall a dollar from the cruise tourism tax. GOB was supposed to 'run the money' when the financial year started in April but Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya says the Ministry of Local Government hasn't. The City Council was supposed to get $132,734 for April; $71,870 for May; and $53,936 is due next week for June. So where is the money? That's the question Mayor Moya's been asking.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
"We should get this money directly from the Ministry of Local Government however we had met and they have said that they simply have not received the monies."
Keith Swift,
From who?
Zenaida Moya,
"What happened is apparently they are supposed to receive it from the Ministry of Finance and then they in turn will pass it on to us but the last time we checked they said they still have not received anything; they were looking into it but they still had not received anything."
Keith Swift,
Mayor what do you think is behind this?
Zenaida Moya,
"Well clearly I feel that it is something that they are being political and I feel very strongly about that because cruise ship passengers are arriving in the city so moneys are being received and why would we not receive moneys for the month of April, for May, and now close to June. Clearly there is no other explanation as to why this council would not be receiving the money.
We had gone ahead based on the budget that was approved by the House of Representatives and we had gone ahead and really include the portions of the head tax within our projected revenues. And because we are not receiving it, and I must say that for the fiscal year 2007/2008, we have received nothing because April 1st is the beginning and we have received nothing for April and May. So pretty much this council is in a position whereby it has projected revenues but it is not receiving it but we still have to ensure that we continue to fix the streets, to ensure that the drains are cleared, to ensure that everything as pertains to the mandate of the council is in fact continuing.
They are really trying to squeeze us and to choke us by not giving us that little extra money that is due to us. I just find it very vindictive and it just shows the level of what they would to try to make this UDP Belize City Council look bad and I must say it will not work."
The payment for June isn't due until next week. But if you add the payments for April, May, and June - the City Council is due just over quarter of a million dollars. The City Council and government worked out a formula whereby the total allocation for the year amounts to about one million dollars. And if the money doesn't come through, Moya says her council will plan its next move. In January the City Council threatened to block buses with cruise passengers from passing on city streets.
