Ten years ago the idea of autonomy and devolution of authority from
central government was a popular political idea, but how well has it worked
out? Town and City councils are chronically strapped for cash, beset by petty
infighting, and regularly unable to meet citizens’ requirement for the
delivery of basic goods and services. It’s gotten so bad – particularly
in Belize city – that informed opinion in some quarters suggests it would
be cheaper and more practical to reverse the whole autonomy regime and go back
to public works, police and transport departments running operations and upkeep
of city’s and towns.
But that’s not the consensus of decision makers; they hold that
there are problems but they can be remedied with systems that demand transparency
and accountability. That’s the idea behind the Belize Municipal Development
Project which aims at improving municipal service delivery and maintenance capacity
across Belize. Today a workshop was held to introduce the idea to all Mayors
and senior administrative staff in the nine municipalities. I found out more.
Jim McFadzean Reporting,
The signs of resignation and a general acceptance that the country is heading
into an even deeper recession is almost palpable amongst the Belizean populace,
and as the Barrow Administration prepares to go public next Monday about how
government intends on dealing with the worsening economic crisis, the already
cash strapped municipalities are bracing for an even more difficult year ahead.
And that’s why a $30 million loan from the World Bank, to assist in the
development and good governance of Belize’s municipal governments, might
have been just what the Doctor ordered. That was what was being discussed this
morning by municipal leaders and administrators in governance workshop at the
Radisson.
Hilberto Campos, Mayor – Corozal Town
“It is definitely an assistance, it is not a lot of money, $30 million
for 7 municipalities. Infrastructure, at least for the municipality which I
represent Corozal Town our biggest challenge is infrastructure. Apart from that
we have other social aspects like multipurpose centres, the fish markets, we
speaking about helping the life of the community on a whole.”
But the money, like most International monetary assistance, comes with a proviso.
Teaching those elected to govern, the most 
effective methodologies and approaches to good governance such as accountability, transparency, good financial management
and the efficient delivery of public services.
Carmen Barrow, Workshop Facilitator
“We really and truly need to make sure that we put structures in place
that outlast us. They are elected to serve for three year periods at a time,
there is no guarantee they are going to have another three years. But the whole
idea is that at the end of the day if they put people at the center of what
it is they are doing, it means that they will make sure that they put systems
in place, they put protocols in place, that outlast them so that there is that
level of accountability, of transparency, of predictability and all the rest
of it which says that it doesn’t matter who is in office, things are going
to get done in the best interest of the constituents in a particular municipality.”
One such municipality taking some already bold steps in improving the delivery
of its public services is the Northern municipality of Orange Walk.
Phillip De LaFuente, Mayor – Orange Walk Town
“My campaign platform to become elected was the main thing to get 
our own equipment and we are getting our own equipment. We’ve purchased
two new garbage trucks, we’ve purchased about four or five brand new heavy
brush cutters, we’ve purchased a brand new cement mixer, and in the next
week or two we should be getting in our motor grader because we cannot get our
work done if we don’t have the equipment to do it. And thanks to the people
of Orange Walk, we are getting things done.”
The lack of good human and financial resources, coupled with endemic corruption
have crippled these municipalities ability to provide some of the most basic
services to their constituencies. Money and technical training in hand from
the World Bank, The greatest challenge which remains for these governing bodies,
will be in how willing they are prepared to remain accountable to the electorate.
Phillip De LaFuente,
“We do publish our monthly financial report which is sent to the Ministry
of Local Government. We have been asking from day one to get the Accountant
General or his Ministry of his office to come in and do the audit of the Orange
Walk Town Council. We have been asking and pleading because we want to know
if we are doing the things right, if we are doing it to the standards that the
government is expecting us to do. So we have been asking for them to come in
but as of today they haven’t been in yet but we do publish our monthly
financial report.”
The Municipal Development Project will be funded by the Government
of Belize through a $30 million loan from the World Bank and will be implemented
by the Social Investment Fund.
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