The scandal-rocked City Hall has had one heck of a year in 2009, with allegations of the under-depositing scandal which have led to criminal charges being levied against Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers and her finance team, as well as the untimely passing of the former Director of Finance, Dwain Davis.
And so, a portfolio shuffle to take effect at the start of 2010 is significant—orchestrated today, our sources say, to try to redistribute portfolios to improve the image and productivity of City Hall.
Before we detail the developments with the shuffle, we report on the financial landscape at City Hall: It’s December, the start of the high season for revenues, but revenues are slow to hit the collection bin. Sources tell our newspaper that CitCo’s financial woes are partly due to distrust of CitCo’s management of public funds.
As we go to press tonight, there was no conclusion on the question of a salary cut, which the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, floated via the airwaves last week.
Inside sources at City Hall say that apart from grappling with payments for sanitation contracts, the council had also been in major arrears for payments due to salary deductions from workers for various sources.
CitCo deducted monies for workers’ payments to Belize Bank, Courts, the credit unions, and of all places—the Family Court and Social Security, but had been behind in forwarding those payments to those respective entities.
We understand that even though attempts had been made to clear the arrears, payments have still not been brought up to date. Reports say that the financial situation continues to be dire, and private security services have been suspended because they, too, have gone without having been paid for an extended period.
Last week when he appeared on the KREM WUB morning show, Prime Minister Dean Barrow pointedly called on the municipality to cut their perks, or he would step in to make sure they do.
Amandala learned that the issue was discussed today, and councilors are inclined to give up some of their allowances; however, they are trying to arrange a meeting with Prime Minister Barrow to discuss the matter in more detail before things become final.
The proposals for pay cuts are being made in light of talks to impose a new garbage collection fee in the City.
While councilors were caught by surprise when the PM declared his proposal for pay cuts via the airwaves last Wednesday, some got a second bombshell when they saw the agenda for today’s meeting, slated to start at 10:00 a.m., with the portfolio shuffle listed.
As usual, the significance of portfolio shuffles is seen against the backdrop of who gains and who loses. The information provided to Amandala late this evening signals a significant development with the sanitation portfolio, which was held exclusively by councilor Philip Willoughby. It is now being split in two, to give responsibility for the Belize Maintenance Limited (BML) over to Councilor Roger Espejo.
The sanitation contracts have been the biggest bone of contention and a major drain of City Hall’s finances.
In September, Willoughby was publicly accused (in an anonymous fax from City Hall) of impropriety in relation to the BML deal, when angry workers waved their placards in protest in front of City Hall. They, too, had not been paid, because CitCo had not paid BML. (For his part, Willoughby rebutted those allegations.)
Apart from losing the BML contract, Willoughby also loses youth and sports to Andrew Faber.
Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers has kept the portfolio of revenue collection and finance. The other councilors whose portfolios remain unchanged are Wayne Usher (traffic, public health and tourism), Dean Samuels (works, Southside), and Kevin Singh (markets and security).
Moya-Flowers attempted to add public relations to Willoughby’s portfolio but, sources say, councilors and the councilor presently in charge of PR, Deputy Mayor Dion Leslie, opposed that proposal. Leslie, therefore, retains that PR portfolio, along with culture, formerly held by Laura Esquivel-Frampton.
Laura and Leila Peyrefitte had some portfolio shuffling between them. Peyrefitte, who was liaison for NGO’s and civil society, gives that up to Esquivel, but she got parks, playgrounds, roundabouts and beautification from Roger Espejo, who gets to oversee the BML sanitation arrangement.
Eric Chang, who had parks and playgrounds, gets works, north-side. Meanwhile, Laura gets sister city relations from Espejo.
Andrew Faber gets youth and sports, formerly held by Willoughby, added to after-school programs, but loses small business initiatives to Espejo.
We understand that discussions over the shuffling of the portfolios continued into the close of the workday, with councilors having had the opportunity to ventilate their views on the matter. The changes are due to take effect January 1, 2010.
Dion Leslie, the council’s PR point man who got culture (Laura’s former domain) added to his portfolio following a request from the National Institute of Culture and History to represent the municipality—keeps the position of Deputy Mayor until March, as he was voted to hold that post for one year.
We were unable to reach Mayor Moya-Flowers for comment tonight.