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When the UDP City Council was elected in 2006 it made a collective decision to stay away from the excesses of the past and so they approved a salary of $6,000 a month for the Mayor Zenaida Moya. But documents leaked to the media allege that Moya, basically through a payroll backdoor, s paying herself another $2,900 a month – a total of $106,000 a year, or $8,900 a month. What’s more, the documents allege that she has not been paying taxes on her salary since January. That it was leaked out today – a few days before the convention is the sign of a major political fatwa being put out on the mayor by her own party. But it is what it is and Mayor Moya came to out studio this evening to tell her side of the story.

Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
“I am receiving a total, this has to do with all the allowances including the vacation grant and insurance which will total, everything included, would be $94,416.26, that has to do with the insurance so I don’t really collect that. That is an insurance benefit paid so but I still include that in the amount which would not come up to that.”

Keith Swift,
So you’re saying that figure is incorrect?

Zenaida Moya,
“Well what I will tell you is that in terms of what I make which is less than what the previous Mayor made, the previous Mayor made $112,375.62 plus received vehicle maintenance and transportation allowance plus had an official council vehicle plus had a credit card which had a $5,000 monthly that he could spend. I received none of those. He received more, myself I have received less so that is the facts.”

Keith Swift,
Has whatever figure you’re receiving been approved by the council?

Zenaida Moya,
“When we got in we decided we would make the same as what the previous council was making so whatever they were making we would make.”

Keith Swift,
Our understanding was that you guys decided you would not continue with what David Fonseca and his councilors were receiving and that you would reduce the allowances and that you would only receive $5,900.

Zenaida Moya,
“No. We had agreed that whatever the previous council was making, we would receive, in terms of, and I have here a letter, the memo noh because when I heard about these allegations, I immediately called the internal auditor for him to say exactly what the facts are and it states here, ‘subject salaries, stipends, and allowances Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Councillors. Attached is a breakdown of salaries, stipends, and allowances paid to the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councilors of the previous City Council as well as the present ones, the attachment reflects that the present Mayor in fact lost an allowance, transportation, and a privileged Belize Bank Visa card. However the Deputy Mayor as well the other nine councilors received $150 increase in telephone allowance.’ And really another $150 per month increase when it comes to vehicle allowance. So this is this.

As I told you when we got in, we were new into it and we said we would simply continue whatever they were making we would make, we would not increase it. It just so happens that afterwards some of the councilors they wanted an increase in telephone and fuel allowance because they said they needed more and also they had asked for an increase in their salary for which they started to get the transportation allowance increase and the telephone allowance increase.”

Keith Swift,
So categorically you are not receiving $5,900 through the Finance Department and an extra $3,000 through payroll?

Zenaida Moya,
“No. Keith however that is being paid, I am telling you how much I am receiving okay. However they put it through, however the Finance Department puts it through, that is not what I look at. I don’t follow up how they pay through. All I know is I know what goes to me really, what I sign for, and it goes to the bank to pay off my different loans so that is all I know. In terms of what the process, the mechanism as to what comes from where or who pays this, that is not something I look at. All I know as I told you is when they bring the voucher in front of me they will say so much deducted to my loan, so much whatever and that is what I sign off on.

As per what true figure is, what I can tell you is that I have a copy of the table of exactly what the previous Mayor and Councilors were making and what this current council is making and what it will show is that while the previous Mayor was making more than me, I am making less than him even though I would venture to say I am more qualified than him. The previous councilors were making less than the current councilors and the facts will show that the current councilors are in fact making more than the previous councilors with the exception of myself who is making less than the previous Mayor.

So this is what these will show and as it pertains to anything, if we are to change anything, the law states that any resolution must be made through the monthly council meetings and we have copies of all the regular meetings and in none of those regular monthly meetings do we not have any resolution passed regarding any change of it. That would have had to gone to these regular monthly meetings of which there would be an agenda item which would state ‘resolutions’ and any copy of the minutes of the actual minutes, council minutes, we can show them these are the actual monthly council minutes.”

Keith Swift,
So the allegation that you’re making $9,000 a month is false? What is your actual figure?

Zenaida Moya,
“After taxes it is $7,816. As I told you, everything that I have included, also includes insurance of which those monies will not come to me but that’s a benefit paid and so forth.”

Keith Swift,
Mayor this information definitely came from someone within your council, how does that make you feel?

Zenaida Moya,
“It makes me feel very upset and at the same time very disappointed that they have sunk to a new low. I see it as a level of desperation, they are desperate. They have tried everything, everything. What they have done in terms of trying to bring allegations, misconstrue whatever, run whatever propaganda and I know it is politics. Everybody tells me well Mayor or Zenaida it is politics and they will always be running propaganda against me and if they don’t run it against me, there is a strong possibility it is because you are an insignificant politician. So I have to also understand that but it is very disheartening, upsetting, that because of desperation, because of the quest for power that my opponent and persons in the camp would do whatever he or she feels to try and discredit me.”

Keith Swift,
Do you think Anthony Michael had anything to do with this?

Zenaida Moya,
“Hmm again I am not supposed to speak negatively of my opponent but what I can say is I feel very very sure that whatever is coming out or they are trying to bring out has to come from that camp; whatever it is. And it is simply again I am reiterating because of desperation so it is desperation plain and simple. But I would like to ask the residents of Belize City, my supporters, to just hang in there and I know a lot of you have stopped me as I walk as I campaign. A lot of you have called me, whether at the office or my phone, a lot of you had emailed me and told me to hang in there. Hang in there, you only have a few more days, that’s why I can honestly tell you that I will do so again.

For me to even be running, sometimes I look at it and I say mein Zenaida you don’t need this, you don’t need this. But you know what, because I am already in it and because I am already the first female Mayor of Belize City, I cannot go down as a one term Mayor and make the rest of the females, all the females that will come after me look bad, to have them look like they are weak so that is the only reason I am continuing this.”