Things are slowly coming to a head in the PUP run municipalities. We are closely monitoring Belize City which by all indications will crash and burn sooner rather than later due to the poor fiscal management by that Municipality’s Mayor and Councilors.
In Orange Walk Town which is where the mismanagement is most evident due to the tenure of that council (6 yrs.), the workers are beginning to feel the pinch. Reports reaching the Guardian Newspaper is that the general workers of the Town Council, including street sweepers, garbage collectors, handy men, street repair crew men, etc. did not receive their weekly salary as is customary on Friday last. They were quite surprised when they went to collect their salary only to be told that ‘things bad’, and that they will have to wait until Monday of this week to get paid. The information is that money was a little short but instead of the Councilors and the top heavy management taking a back seat and waiting to collect on Monday, they passed on the burden to the poor hardworking members of the town.
We are told that members of the administration did their rounds around town trying to collect on overdue licenses and taxes. The workers are afraid to protest, we are told, because they are afraid of being fired. Already a few of the workers and at least one Traffic officer has been sent home by the new Town Council. Some of those poor workers who were affected asked to see the Mayor but they were told that the Mayor won’t be in anytime soon.
Of course he is not in to manage the affairs of the council and the people of Orange Walk Town because he is busy pursuing his selfish agenda of trying to become a Standard bearer for the PUP in Orange Walk East. Kevin Bernard is to blame for the deficiencies at the Town Hall because of his ineptitude at fiscal management. Readers will recall that he mortgaged the council’s future by committing half of the subvention granted by central government for the next 12 years. This alone has placed the council on dire straits, not to mention his stupid idea of giving away free drivers and vehicles’ licenses as an election gimmick two months ago.
Oh Kevin the chickens are coming home to roost, and you have opted not to be around. The Orange Walk Town Council is broke and Kevin is using its scarce resources to chase his absurd political dream. Kevin our advice to you, go back to Town Hall and try to right the wrongs you have presided over while you still can.
