Last night we told you about the major incident at City Hall where councillor Micah Goodin had a blow-up with the City Administrator - and then got into a loud shouting match with her driver.  And all this happened right at City Hall.  For Goodin, it's not the first time he has exploded into a tantrum at City Hall - the last time it was against Mayor Bernard Wagner.  Now, it's the city's top administrator - and today a unified council took a stand against him.  They came out for a rare unified press conference to announce that - because of his conduct - the first term councillor was being stripped of all portfolios.  Here's the whole story:..

Bernard Wagner - Mayor, Belize City
"In our manifesto we committed to transforming the way we operate as a body. Since taking office I've tried to mentor and guide all my councilors particularly councilor Goodin, so we all as a group realize our full potential as leaders of the city."

But it seems Goodin went off the tracks with that self-realization plan.  He went to the council caucus on Tuesday with project proposals which were approved.  But his Sports Director wanted funding approved the next day - and it doesn't work like that:

Bernard Wagner
"The council's accounting procedures require certain requirements to be met prior to funds  disbursement. So while these budgets were approved, it was not anticipated that funds were required by for immediate disbursement on Wednesday morning - as was demanded for the inter office football team. This is what was expalined to staff within the councilor's portfdolio. however this as interpret as an unwillingness to disburse the funds which led to councilor Goodin's outburst with our city administrator."

So, Goodin stormed into the council, barged into the City Administrator's office where she was having a meeting.  She agreed to meet with him in another office, and here's what happened next:

Micah Goodin, City Councillor
"Why you always have to insult my people they? Why you always have to be disrespectful to my people? Why? Why?  I done gone da caucus, I done get this thing approved, and you wah embarrass my people, front-a people. Why C-A?"

Stephanie Lindo Garbutt - City Administrator
"Would you like a minute to calm down?"

Micah Goodin
"No, no, I really want to know why. I feel like you di target me and you di target my people. This is not the first time."

Stephanie Lindo Garbutt
"Well, councilor, I am very sorry that's how you feel. I think it's also fair to say that your people have been very disrespectful to me."

Micah Goodin, City Councillor:
"C-A, I am the councilor. You have a problem you can come to me. I took these matters to caucus.  That was my idea, my suggestion. I am an elected official. I da noh no lee bwai out ya. And I deserve to be treated with respect. How can you...this document went to caucus and now you will be here taking my boy for a laughing stock. No mein, you cyaah di rough up people like that."

Stephanie Lindo Garbutt
"Excuse me."

Micah Goodin, City Councilor
"You cannot be doing that. You cyaah di do that CA, and I noh wah accept it. I will not accept it. Have some respect for my people them. Cah I no wah be nice." 

Unknown male
"Weh gone on mein?"

Micah Goodin
"Noh di touch me bredda!  No do touch...Noh di touch me!"

Unknown female
"Micah, cool down..."

Micah Goodin
"Tiyad ah this (explective) een ya."

Unknown male
"Talk to you bwai. Di man da wah councilor, but he noh gwen disrespect me neither."

Micah Goodin
"Weh you wah do? Weh you wah do? Weh you wah do?"

Unknown male
"You do gwan like wah real..." (shouting) Micah, Micah, listen to me Micah, you cyaah, you cayaah di fool with me Micah."

Micah Goodin
"Do It, Dot it, Whylie do it, do it, do it, do it, do it."

Unknown male:
"Chill, chill, chill, chill."

Unknown female
"Micah, goh, goh, goh, Micah."

Sounds very volatile and possible violent, but, the Mayor says:

Bernard Wagner
"No one was assaulted it was just raised voices."

And today the Mayor raised his voice to stand with the employees over his fellow politician:

Bernard Wagner
"We consider such actions by our elected officials to be unprofessional and unacceptable. It cannot be business as usual where politicians can intimidate senior administrative personnel and staff - we cannot be about the people whilst on the other than treat our own staff with disrespect and disdain

And, as a consequence of that, Goodin has been stripped of his portfolios:

Bernard Wagner
"After gathering the pertinent information I have taken the following decision with full support of my deputy and all councilors and we will be redistributing the portfolio assigned to councilor Goodin as follows: management information systems will now be assigned to deputy Arnold, youth and sports will now be assigned to councilor Ryan Eligio and training and staff development will be reassigned to councilor Pitts. It is regrettable we have reached this point.

But, this point is as far as the council can go:

Bernard Wagner
"Well unfortunately I can't fire him he is an elected official he remains as a councilor."

A councilor on full pay for nothing:

Jules Vasquez
"Will he continue to receive his monthly stipend?"

Bernard Wagner
"To the best of my knowledge, yes."

Jules Vasquez
"So then he will be paid for not doing anything because you catch feelings?"

Bernard Wagner
"It's protocol Jules; I will not be the first mayor that has reassigned portfolios. I want the good councilor to take the opportunity to reflect. You all know the outburst that he did with me, I didn't say anything. I listened, I brought him in back, we passed some initiatives, he did great work - but this thing just came up back again as a leader or as the leader of this team, I can't have one person bringing down the team."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there not room for some reconciliation or an orderly handling of this rather than all of unno the come out here to throw this man under the bus. This man is elected, this man is a PUP - drive the bus over him and then reverse it as well.

Bernard Wagner
"Jules I just told you just now that my door is open to him."

For his part, Goodin says he didn't disrespect the City Administrator, thet he was seated, while she stood.  He alleged that she is on a quote, "power showâ€Â¦and wants to instill fear in the employees so I had to stand up for the sports coordinator." End quote.