By Wilfrido Novelo
Kevin Bernard is no doubt Orange Walk Town’s worst Mayor. Never before in the history of Orange Walk have its residents seen so much neglect. Once upon a time on Riverside Street there stood the Orange Walk Tourism Information Center, which was built by a UDP administration. It was equipped with sanitary facilities that served tourists and locals alike.
Mayor Kevin Bernard, has been on the job since March 2012. That’s eight years with seven months and our town has been the victim of neglect. The Tourism Center is no more. Today, it’s an eyesore. It was strategically located because visitors to Lamanai who departed and returned there could access its facilities.
For Mayor Kevin Bernard its all about collecting his salary and living an extravagant lifestyle. He is not about serving the people of Orange Walk. He cares more for his close cronies. He can boast that he has a cadre of highly paid executives who live good with taxpayers’ monies.
The photograph taken in front of Shell Gas Station on the Phillip Goldson International Highway speaks volumes of Mayor Kevin Bernars neglect of Orange Walk. The citizen is holding trees of prickles that are waist high. So is the grass. Today Wednesday October 7, 2020 is a very windy day. Had there been no wind it would appear waist high.
What’s the problem with Mayor Kevin Bernard that he can’t deliver the services he ought to do? It’s all about money. He’s running a broke Town Council. Don’t blame Covid-19 for it. It’s the product of his incompetence, neglect, abuse of resources, ineptitude and squander mania. It’s all about his politricking. To curry favor with the voters, Mayor Kevin Bernard is giving out free drivers licenses not only to Orange Walk Town residents, but to villagers in the Orange Walk East constituency. That is illegal. Town residents pay for their driver’s licenses at the Town Council and villagers do so at the Transport Department.
When Mayor Kevin Bernard gives away free drivers licenses he is depriving his Town Council of much needed revenues to provide some level of services to the town. When he can’t deliver the services expected by the people, he’s victimizing an entire town.
Mayor Kevin Bernard has boasted that he has a Master’s Degree in Business Administration. Well, it’s not showing. If he had the expertise that he boasts, Orange Walk would have been in better shape. It is a shame that he has indebted future Town Councils up to the year 2030 and counting. Mayor Kevin Bernard has publicly written that he aspires for “higher office”, which means that he considers the Town Council to be LOW OFFICE.
If Mayor Kevin Bernard can’t handle a ‘low office’ like the municipality of Orange Walk, how will he handle HIGH OFFICE like the Orange Walk East constituency which includes the villages of Palmar, Chan Pine Ridge, Tower Hill, Carmelita, Neuland and Santa Marta? He has victimized the people of Orange Walk Town with his ineptitude. People of Orange Walk East, beware of Kevin Bernard.
Since November 2015, When Elodio Aragon, Jr. was elected as area representative, Orange Walk East has benefitted with development by leaps and bounds. He has been tireless in serving his people. A project of progress hasn’t finished when he is planning on another one. He has the qualities of a good leader.
Orange Walk East stands to gain with Elodio Aragon, Jr. as area representative. Have no doubt. Vote UDP!
