Going back to our interview with the Mayor yesterday - we found it odd that he had professed ignorance about the Chicken Dread food truck that's permanently parked at Digi Park. Now that parking in the city has been monetized - we wondered what was the arrangement for the popular fried chicken outlet.

When the mayor claimed to not know we went into the archives and the council minutes. Jules Vasquez reports:

It's always been a fight for vending space for Paul Ferguson, the man we dubbed Chicken Dread. Here he was back in 2012 - at war with the then UDP City Council for a place on the Albert Street sidewalk - for which he did not have a proper permit:

Chicken dread:
"Noh worry, people, I will be back."

And he was. But, 6 years later, the dread turned baldhead would have to fight no more. PUP took over City Hall and since 2018, he's been holding down this prime parking spot at the Digi Park.

But it is paid, or just political patronage to the politically connected businessman who's the driver for the area representative?:

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"We are looking at the whole parking meters, we want to really take it over so we have done some proposals to the partnership that we will be looking to see how we could buy them out because it is something that the city should be in charge of and they have been very receptive in working along with us with that."

Reporter:
"What's the parking arrangement for Chicken Dread? a lot of concerns have been raised because his truck is permanently parked-"

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Which arrangement?"

Reporter:
"Well, I don't know, his truck is permanently parked at BTL park, prime parking for them, and does he pay the meters, does he pay you all a special price?"

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"No, our enforcement team has to look at that, I know there are fees in respect to how you park along that stretch but I know that Chicken Dread does have a booth in the park so I'm not certain if that's the booth you're referring to."

Reporter:
"No, his truck parks in front of the park."

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Oh well I'll have to take a look at it, I'm not certain about that though. But there's no special arrangement there."

Strange that the mayor had not seen this truck which hasn't moved in 6 years.

Or that he seemed to have not remembered these minutes of his own council from August of 2022 when - in approving the rental agreement for a booth - it was disclosed that no arrangement was finalized for the parking of his food truck.

Two years later and the mayor said yesterday that there's still no arrangement:

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"I'm not certain about that though. But there's no special arrangement there."

We did reach out to chicken Dread proprietor Paul Ferguson this evening - and he promised us an interview tomorrow.