Last night we told you about Councilor Micah Goodin's effective demotion by his Mayor when he and councilor Deannie Requena were stripped of key aspects of their portfolios
A press release from the council last night called the moves, quote: "A catalyst for delivering greater results for the remainder of the term."
Still, the buzz out around City Hall is that the council is deeply divided over a new city-wide garbage tax which the mayor wants to implement. We're told those councilors oppose it - which is why they got left with very slender portfolios.
And wanting to get to the button of all that this afternoon, Cherisse Halsall reached out to Mayor Bernard Wagner via Zoom; she asked him point-blank whether Goodin and Requena were somehow penalized for opposing him on the garbage tax. Here's that exchange:
Cherisse Halsall:
"So Mr. Mayor, let's start with this council reshuffle we saw the notice last night, one council in particular Micah Goodin seemed to be stripped of all but one of his responsibilities two others lost certain portfolios and the question now is where these councillors stripped because they opposed your proposed garbage fee?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"No, it's two different, totally different subjects. The matter of the garbage fee never did reach the caucus yet, because we have not done the adequate consultations that are required and we have to do a lot of things before the garbage fee is implemented. We have to look at consultations with the residents, we have to at consultations with the area reps., and we have to look at how it will be rollout, at what processes and what collection mechanisms will be put in place for the collection of those fees, but we are starting the discussion and the discourse, that is very important that we start the conversation. That never did reach caucus so I don't know how it could be tied in with the realignment of my portfolios."
Cherisse Halsall:
"That's understood Sir but you know reliable information to us is that that garbage fee was going to be tabled in November and that."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"Who are your sources, Miss Halsall?"
Cherisse Halsall:
"I can't reveal my sources, sir."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"But most of the time your sources are incorrect and you have to begin to look at the reliability of your sources. The point is that the realignment happens 10 months after we have been in office and ten months gave me enough time just as the press release says to really address the strengths and weaknesses and the performance of those councillors and put our best foot forward. Put our councillors in positions where they are successful and they can provide results for the city. 2022 is very pivotal for us and we need to be able to realize our mandate and realize our manifesto."
Cherisse Halsall:
"So then coming back to that sir am I to understand, because the question is what's all the fuss about? Why? Was this shuffle initiated? Is it that in your opinion some of these councillors were not performing to their adequate levels?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
"Of course managers, you just saw last week the Prime Minister did a reshuffle, that is our purview as the mayor and as the Prime Minister that we are put in the position to assess actually assess the performance of councillors,, assess the objectives that we want to achieve, the goals that we set out to achieve and put in place the best possible person to lead that portfolio and again portfolio's come and go and my view is that if you perform as a councillor you don't need to worry about portfolio's at the end of the day there are managers that really run the portfolio's, the councillors are essentially board members, they attend caucuses, they bring policies, they listen to the concerns of the residents and they bring it to caucus and we debate it and we see that it is a good motion we passed it through the caucus, but not having a portfolio is irrelevant in my view. At the end of the day the people voted you as councillors and as a collective body and if we can't vote as a collective then something is certainly wrong with us."
Councilor Mike Novelo was also stripped of his former parks and beautification portfolio.
