The Public Service Union has sent out a statement challenging Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle. The Mayor said that he personally reached out to the PSU in August 2017 when he learned they weren't paying their lease. The PSU says, quote, "the PSU wishes to clarify that it was in fact the PSU who initiated contact with the Mayor…on every occasion about the acquisition of title to the Hilltop Property. Furthermore, for the Mayor to state that he had an appointment to meet with the President of the PSU at 10:00 am (on) November 14th, is the furthest thing from the truth…" End quote.
And as to the negotiation between the council and the PSU over the price of the land, the mayor says the Union offered 187 thousand dollars and nothing more. This for a property they were told was valued half a million dollars. But the PSU says differently. Its statement says, quote, "its position was that any negotiation towards a final balance in price must begin with $187,728.70…" end quote.
And here's why the PSU took that position. They say that when the land was first leased in the year 2001, it was valued at $415,000.00. The accompanying notes on the appraisal from that time considered quote "certain works and details certain considerations" and "reveals clearly that then Mayor Anthony Chanona acknowledged that the amount of $187,728.70 represented the value owing by the PSU to the Belmopan City Council for the property as at 19th September, 2001.
The PSU concludes quote, "payments were in fact being made against the outstanding sum of $187,728.70 during the period 2001 through to 2010 up until when the Belmopan City Council under the stewardship of Mayor Simeon Lopez refused to accept payment in January 2010.
The PSU maintains that Mayor Khalid Belisle and the Belmopan City Council acted in bad faith during the negotiation process and is not being truthful with the Belizean people." END QUOTE.
The PSU closes by quote, "(urging) Mayor Belisle and the Belmopan City Council to do the honorable thing and reverse the sale….We trust the Belmopan City Council will return to negotiations thereafter and continue in good faith to arrive at a settlement for the property with and to the Public Service Union of Belize." End quote.
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