And from news of a contract killing, to turbulent times in the City Council.
We've told you all about the shootout that Deputy Mayor Micah Goodin found himself in the middle of on Saturday morning. It left one man with minor injuries, and two others remanded.
For Goodin - well, he escaped charges and injury, only his vehicle was damaged - but might his reputation also have been tarnished along with it?
Well, the Mayor certainly has his reservations. He went to Barbados this week and instead of handing over power to his deputy - he told the City Administrator that he will just handle things remotely.
Goodin challenged that - but information suggests that a majority of the councillors supported the Mayor's decision. Albert Vaughan is one of those councillors and today at the council he told us why he feels it's best the city administrator runs things at this time:
Jules Vasquez
"We are here with you today in the city council. Who is running the affairs of the council right now?"
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"Well, I saw your news last night and shouldn't be a big question, you know the mayor is in touch with the city council. The city administrator is here and the council is running as per normal."
Jules Vasquez
"The city council act, it does say that when the mayor isn't here, the deputy mayor should run the city council, but the mayor expressed his reservations about that at this time with the whole confluence of events. Do you support the mayor's position?"
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"Yeah, I do support the mayor's position. We are in some questionable times and to make the smooth running of the council, the mayor has to have the best interest at heart, so going that way is the best way. I did support the mayor."
Jules Vasquez
"However, you also have to respect the law."
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"The mayor has to do what is best in the interest of the council."
Jules Vasquez
"The mayor has to follow the law, Albert."
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"Yeah, and I think somewhere down the road, the decision has to be made that - the law is a living organ, right."
Jules Vasquez
"You are getting like Dean Barrow, turning lawyer on me."
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"I'm not a lawyer, I'm just trying to help you out with your news. The mayor have left his instructions. 5 councillors has supported it and so we move on."
Jules Vasquez
"As an elected official, you have been someone who was very critical of the past administration for their excesses and the deputy mayor who has not agree to give me an interview, so I have to speak on his behalf, was involved in the middle of a shootout. Legit. They shoot up the man vehicle, regardless of the circumstances. Do you regret that the city has been pull into this sort of incident which is something that really contributed to the chaos of the city."
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"You are right, Jules. We saw a past administration where we have councillors involved in these situations. I don't have the facts about what happened with our deputy mayor, I only know what he puts out there on his facebook and what the police is saying and so I don't want to be unfair at all to the situation by saying what I don't know."
Jules Vasquez
"Well, we know that his Nissan Rogue has 4 bullet holes in it."
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"What is important to me as a leader. as a politician, as a councillor is that we have to address this damn craziness, this damn lots of shooting in the city. You know I felt bad when I hear that our deputy mayor was involved in a shooting on the wee hours of the morning, I felt very terrible, because that's not what we are about. We should be very responsible people when we go out there. Yes, I know that we have to enjoy ourselves, but that comes with responsibility. That comes with a high cost of responsibility, as a matter of fact. As elected leaders, we have to do far better than that. We have to be very responsible going out there. When we go out there, we must know we are entering into a real world. Belize is part of that world and as I say, as a councillor and as a leader, we have to condemn these types of actions."
The City Council today sent out a release deploring gun violence and adding, quote, "the incident that unfolded over the past weekend involving the deputy mayor and youth shadow councillor infringes on our core values, that of protecting our women children and youths…"
Vaughan was especially sore that Shadow Councillor Tae Medina - who was in Goodin's Nissan Rogue and was grazed, was socializing with the councilor:
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"Thats why I said I was so sad when I hear about the incident, in particular coming to our shadow councillor. We are mentors. Show them the correct way. As I say again and I hope I make this clear, I don't know the facts of this case yet. I heard deputy mayor put out a release, so read that, I heard your news, I also understand the brother has commented on one of the... Yes, we should be alarmed at this. Our shadow counsellors as I say, we are the mentors, we are to lead them the correct way. This is not a game. If you take this as a game, sooner or later it will come to an end. You have to be serious. As a senior here, I take this very serious and I am very concern, because every opportunity I get, I keep saying that we set the standard, we set the example. I don't take my shadow councillor to drink with me, I don't take my shadow councillor to go and party with me, no. that is not my game. My game is to show him the proper way and expect them to be better than us and so you must do the right thing. So, yes I am concern."
Jules Vasquez
"Do you feel he is unfit to be acting mayor at this time?"
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"Because I said I don't have the facts of the case, I don't think..."
Jules Vasquez
"We know that Tae Medina was grazed. We know that he was taken to the hospital, we know that the man's vehicle has 4 bullet holes in the back. Isn't that enough?"
Albert Vaughan, Councillor
"I don't want to pre-judge him. I want to give the council the opportunity to hear what Micah Goodin says and to get every report that is available out there and make the council make that decision. I don't want to say that he is unfit. At this time, I can tell you personally I am not so happy at all with what I am hearing. Bring those facts to the council so we can study it and if we believe that Micah Goodin is unfit to be deputy mayor, then we can make that decision there. We don't want to pre-judge it."
We have asked Goodin for comment but he has not replied.
