Belmopan, August 19, 2006...A special meeting was held at the Central Bank of Belize conference room between Prime Minister Said Musa and members of the Belize Mayors’ Association, to discuss the financial state of municipal governments, and several issues of pertinence were raised and explored.

Attorney General and Minister of Education Hon. Francis Fonseca, and Minister of Foreign Trade, Hon. Eamon Courtenay, acting for Minister of Local Government, Hon. Jose Coye attended. The Association’s chairperson Mayor Elsa Paz of San Pedro Town, and the mayors of Belmopan, Belize City, Corozal, Orange Walk, Benque Viejo del Carmen, Dangriga and Punta Gorda, along with the Deputy Mayor of San Ignacio attended.

The Mayors Association proposed that arrangements be made for revenue sharing from the Environmental Tax, urban traffic management by councils, duty-free fuel for councils, and
for the introduction of a subvention formula to create horizontal equity distribution.

The Government of Belize advised that in order for consideration of these or any other proposals, comprehensive study and analysis would be a pre-requisite for decision-making. Such study and analysis would be undertaken to determine the cost to manage municipalities, current and potential revenues, and the level of assistance necessary to provide the required services.

The Mayors admitted that their current revenue base, particularly property taxes and garbage fees, were not performing well, and they agreed to undertake the studies and analyses.

Prime Minister Hon. Said Musa said that both central and municipal governments were facing financial challenges and expressed his government’s strong willingness to support the cause for better municipal management.

“The emphasis,” he concluded, “must be on service to the people.”
Source: Belize GIS