He paved 100 streets for 20 million dollars, so would Darrell Bradley pave a little over a mile for 8 million dollars?
Well, it's not that simple a comparison. As you heard that one mile plus on Faber's Road will have drainage and a canal, and a roadway built to last for 20 years.
As is well known, Mayor Bradley's roadworks project famously didn't include drains. Today he said that he cannot speak about the Faber's Road project because he doesn't know the details. But the PM did speak to Councilor Dion Leslie about those details.
We asked the Mayor about that snub and to make a comparison between his road works and this project:...
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"Not seeing anything to the scope of works I cannot comment whether or not any particular price would be commensurate with what that work is."
"Notwithstanding all the concerns that has been raised by members of the media, let us not be lost in the sight that it's an important project and I think that overall we need more transparency with relation to works projects in Belize City."
Reporter
"But as the incumbent mayor, do you believe you ought to have been consulted with in respect of that initiative?"
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"I think what I believe or what I don't believe is immaterial. I again, I have brought...."
Reporter
"You have been consulted sir?"
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"Isani, I have broad shoulders. The fact that I wasn't consulted doesn't negate the fact that the road will be done and as mayor I am elated that the road will be done. You ask me about comments from the chief engineer, comments from other people - should I be consulted? Those are things that I don't really think about and I don't really care about. If you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. Just get the work done."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Sir, but is it this case that the Prime Minister does not want to talk to you?"
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"Jules, that is something that has never entered my contemplation."
The the engineer form the Ministry of Works Project Execution Unit made it clear at the press conference yesterday; their level of work far exceeds what the city council did in terms of engineering and specifications. That sounds like a public putdown - but today the mayor took it in stride:...
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"One of the things that I can appreciate as a criticism for the municipality is that perhaps we were not paying too much attention in relation to drainage and I appreciate that in an area like Faber's Road where you do have some of these lagoon areas where you do have significant flooding. That's the lowest part of Belize City, you would want to make sure that you pay ample attention to drainage, to canals, to ensuring that the water would run off in due time."
"I'm telling you though that when you do 165 streets in Belize City, you cannot say that you are going to get a perfect pour every single time. So that I am not an engineer, and I won't tell you that everything that the city council has done in relation to that infrastructure is perfect. We operated with a municipal bond that was 20 million dollars. We've had problems in relation to some of the streets."
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