Sharon Palacio is the new Mayor in the Capital, and she means to shake things up.
It's a message she did her utmost to communicate in her first address to the City this morning, which she rounded out with her hopes for what she called a New Belmopan, a place of equity, safety, and modernization.
And this morning in that speech which was carried live by Plus TV, Palacio began by putting the City on notice.
Sharon Palacio, Mayor of Belmopan
"I am putting everyone on notice that this great city must be served with dignity, accountability, and effective operating systems. City Hall will work with a comprehensive and interactive strategic plan, the process has already begun. We are excited about a new and re-imagined Belmopan to this end we are prioritizing the creation of the first urban planning department. Belmopan has one of the fastest-growing populations and the infrastructure grow along with it. We can learn from the best in the world. We will ensure safety for the good citizens of Belmopan, I am happy to share that we will continue to work with the Belmopan police formation with whom we already have a draft memorandum of understanding."
"Our councilors with the assistance of city commissioners and our zone ambassadors will continue to network with the communities and relevant organizations in accordance with our portfolios to strengthen ties and networks. I am happy to announce that this process is in that this is a good process, progress."
"All of us together will re-imagine a new Belmopan where our young people can study at the highest level of their choice to make the relevant advances that we need. A new Belmopan where the elderly are respected, taken care of, and receive the best healthcare, a new Belmopan where the citizens are safe, a new Belmopan where young women and men are involved in cutting edge technologies allowing them to take care of themselves and their future families, a new Belmopan where workers, entrepreneurs and even the decent hustlers have right and enjoy the fruits of a booming and safe city, a new Belmopan where you are confident that your tax dollars are properly and wisely invested back in you."
And during her address, Palacio also made space to expose many of the major debts that she and her council inherited from their predecessors. These included Land payment reimbursements at $49,748.00, Unpaid bills at $692,659.00, and Social Security at $117,262.00 among many other debts.
