Belize City Streets in Bad Shape, St. Thomas Gets Some Love

The Belize City Council says it needs one point six million dollars to fix the damaged streets across the city, but they’re not sure where the money will come from. Today, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner told News Five that it’s unlikely the council can raise these funds on its own, so they’ve asked the central government for help. Meanwhile, work has started on Saint Thomas Street, which was in terrible shape, just like the worst streets in the Old Capital. However, these repairs weren’t included in the council’s damage assessment report. Belize Telecommunications Limited and Belize Water Service are teaming up with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Housing to cover the repair costs. News Five’s Paul Lopez has more.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Belize City streets are in terrible shape, as confirmed by a damage assessment report from the Belize City Council. The poor conditions have even sparked a viral parody that’s making the rounds. “Muffler mih a look…..bruk down pan street. Pit hole, on the road again. Yeah.”There’s finally a ray of hope for motorists navigating the streets of the Old Capital. Over the weekend repair works began on one of the city’s main thoroughfares, St. Thomas Street. It is a welcomed sight, according to one Belize City resident who lives nearby. He mentioned that he recently shelled out up to one thousand, one hundred dollars in vehicle repairs after hitting a pothole on the street.

 

Jorge Pelayo, Belize City Resident

“This street has been like this for quite some time, most of the streets in this area. But what gets to me is the time they take to fix the street; I had to take my vehicle to the mechanic and it cost me eleven hundred and eighty dollars for the parts and pay the mechanic. It is time they fix it, but I do hope they give us a good job and don’t give us a cover Benjamin.”

 

 

And, according to Mayor Bernard Wagner, the cost of the St. Thomas Street repairs is being covered through an innovative three-way agreement between B.T.L, B.W.S and M.I.D.H.

 

 

 

 

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Remember when that project started, I believe it was late last year. One entity was going to do it, and they pulled out. So we were left with a street that was basically dug out, so we collaborated with B.T.L, B.W.S and the M.I.D.H and us and what we did their in this instance is to offset trade license, property taxes, over a three year period so that it does not hurt the council in terms of its revenue. So, they would inject the funding to rehabilitate the street and thereafter we would offset what they inject over a three-year period. So, you kill two birds with one stone, you get the street fixed and you do not compromise the cash flow of the council in a one-year term.”

 

And works are already underway, with one side of the street almost completely resurfaced. But this is separate and apart from the one point six million dollars that the council estimates will need to repair damaged streets across the city.

 

 

 

Bernard Wagner

“Most of the damages we see are the streets that are not paved. The ones that have been paved have generally held up. The concrete ones held up generally one. So it is a clear indication that maybe it is time to go that route fully in terms of concrete or hot mix.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Your city admin says the money will come, where will the money come from?”

 

Bernard Wagner

“At the city level this is sort of next to a disaster or hurricane event. To us finding the capital would be highly unlikely. So, we had to send a request to the M.I.D.H and the Ministry of Finance to see how they could assist us, and we are not asking for funding. We are asking to assist with the material.”

 

 

Paul Lopez

“What do you say to residents that don’t necessarily care for the financial deliberation to be made, they just want the streets fixed.”

 

Bernard Wagner

“My thing here is that taxes has to be paid, property taxes has to be paid. We are owed over thirty million dollars by property owners across this country. So, you can’t be on one side saying you want decent streets but you don’t pay your taxes. We know in some areas they have close to eighty ninety percent compliance. We have a tool we utilize with respect to compliance. if you at the city level is owed close to thirty million, that is a clear indication as to where we sit.”

 

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.