Belmopan Mayor Trying to Sort Out Council Finances

Eight months ago when she inherited the Belmopan City Council, Mayor Sheran Palacio indicated that the Council was financially challenged and had huge debts. We got the chance to ask her today about the financial status of the Council now. She said they are trying to come up with creative ideas to bring in revenue.

Sheran Palacio

Sheran Palacio, Belmopan Mayor

“Our Council inherited zero. We inherited – and I wouldn’t be able to give you the numbers – but the figures are exorbitant. We owe so much, but we’ve been able to communicate with persons that we owe, companies, and I think that they’re very sympathetic in most cases, but those bills will not be erased. They are there. I feel much more comfortable as I stand here in front of you, though, because I have a competent City Administrator. Her name is Mrs. Sherlene Julian. I begged her to come along with me because for me to excel, I need the right team. She has a wealth of knowledge; she comes from the business world and we worked together at the University of Belize so as I speak with you, she’s looking at the bonds, she’s engaging all these companies that we owe and I am sure that the three years that we have assigned to us, we will not get there, because what we have is outrageous. We have loans that I keep on saying, they were prostituted, whereby you have other Councils who were receiving their subventions. Belmopan City Council receives nothing and there’s no sympathy so, we are creative and we are not scared. So, as time goes by, for example, we are tasking all these heads of departments to be creative and come with some business opportunities whereby we should not only be paying out these exorbitant salaries but also making industry, doing something that the Council could be earning, bringing in monies”