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And while Mayor Moya was exuberant, yesterday Prime Minister Dean Barrow cautioned that the ecstasy of the victory should be tempered by some sense of contrition. Yesterday as part of our election coverage, he spoke to Daedra Haylock, and told her that the amendment to the Belize City Council Act – which we’ve dubbed the “Managing Mayor Moya” Bill empowers him as Minister of Finance to install an administrator to regulate the city’s affairs and that’s just what he intends to do.

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
“Well I don’t mind saying from now that the amendment to the Belize City Council Act that we passed, when was it, in December I believe, provides for a measure to be employed by central government, and I will have no hesitation in using. That is, if it appears to us, that there is a need for an independent financial regulation of the council’s affairs, I now have the authority now I believe, based on the recommendation of the Minister of Local Government, to appoint such a controller. That certainly is one way in which we can put in place an institutional safeguard.

One thought twice about that kind of amendment because as the howls and screams and protests from the opposition confirmed, there is always the chance that some people will see it as a retreat on the autonomy commitment of the government to the local bodies. But unbalanced, that kind of measure is a salutary, useful one in the event things get out of hand. So I am even more convinced now than I was before that it was the right thing to do. That as I said provides us with a platform to move decisively to stem any tide that we might see developing, any tide of red ink. Simple as that in terms of the financial affairs of the council.”

And to go over the results from yesterday’s election once again: The UDP controls every seat in the municipal governments in Benque Viejo, San Ignacio, Belmopan, Belize City, Dangriga, Punta Gorda, San Pedro, and Corozal. In Orange Walk, the councilors are split three to three with the UDP also having the Mayoral seat making it a four to three majority. Click here for the detailed accounting of the results.