Belize’s towns just got a major facelift, not in buildings, but on the map. All eight towns, including San Pedro and the twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena, now have new boundaries. The changes officially took effect on April first through a series of statutory instruments, marking a big step in how Belize plans for the future. This re-delineation process started back in 2012, with consultations involving key stakeholders. Now, more than a decade later, the updated town limits are designed to keep up with urban growth and bring better services to fast-growing communities on the outskirts. From improved infrastructure to more efficient public services, the goal is to make sure no one gets left behind as towns expand. In this episode of The Five Point Breakdown, we take a closer look at what these changes mean for residents, local leaders, and the future of municipal development.
For the first time in thirty years, the official boundaries of Belize’s towns are being redrawn, a move that’s reshaping not just how towns look, but how they grow. From Punta Gorda to San Pedro, the map of Belize is getting a long-overdue update. The process began with community consultations all the way back in 2012, involving residents and key stakeholders in areas set to be affected. Under the Briceño administration, the work has finally begun. The goal? To reflect the real growth happening on the ground and ensure that expanding communities get the services and infrastructure they need. It’s a big change, and one that’s been a long time coming.
What is the Delineation Process?
Florencio Marin Jr, Minister of Local Government
“The leadership of Minister of Requena and the team that was there did countrywide consultations with the municipals, the different municipals with the different stakeholders, with the buffering villages. They tried to do a full, comprehensive consultation to be able to get that when they come with a plan now it encompasses all the requirements.”
Statutory instruments for all eight municipalities have been put in place to formally get on with the process, which includes continued consultations. But why is re-delineation necessary in the first place? The Minister of Local Government, Florencio Marin, shares the reason.
Purpose of Delineation:
“It has become important because I believe from around the, we have not had any delineation of our municipal boundaries.”
Marion Ali
“What does it mean politically?”
“To be able to provide better services to where the towns are already providing services because the municipals do garbage collection, they maintain the streets, they help provide for the different utilities, when in a village the village council doesn’t have all those powers to do so.”
The map of Orange Walk Town just got a little bigger, and so did its responsibilities. As part of a nationwide re-delineation effort, all eight municipalities in Belize now have clearly defined new borders. For Orange Walk, that means three nearby communities — Petville, San Lorenzo Housing Site, and Ann Gabourel — are officially being brought into the town’s limits.
What Shapes a New Municipality
Ladrick Sheppard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town
“Many people are tired of seeing dust blowing in their house. Many – sometimes when it rains, the water goes inside their house. We’ll be working on a draining system, and again, the garbage as well too. You have the garbage outside, pile it up there. It doesn’t look good, you have to be burning it, which is sometimes illegal. So all these things are essential services that we’ll be giving to these people. So it’s a huge plus for them.”
Bernardo Bennett, Chairman, Ladyville Village
“Ladyville has the three necessary components and more that would qualify a community or a village to be declared a town, because we do have a full operation police station has about 80 plus police officers that go on rotation and shifts and stuff for Ladyville Formation itself. We do have a community center/ health center that works Monday to Friday and Saturdays. Now with the lobbying efforts and with the size of community, we have a full-fledged NHI clinic. Also we have a full-fledged fire station here in Ladyville itself. And of course, when you look on components, economic activities, we are bustling. Jobs here are not really short like that. We have the Belikin factory, the Coca-Cola plant. We have the international airport, we have BATSUB. We have the B.D.F. Camp and other businesses, supermarkets. We have gas stations.”
Townships Are Autonomous
“Working a community, dealing with issues takes resources and the only resources we have so far we getting is the like license fees. And that fees basically goes to taking care of the public spaces. And here in Ladyville we have a lot of public spaces. We have like five parks, two sporting complex, basically the cemetery and we have to basically clean those places once a month, sometime every month and a half to make sure they’re clean and maintained and that costs. So right now for myself, we’re hoping that the amendment to the trade Licensing Act comes into effect later this year in October so we can see what kind of revenue base that will be, and then from there, work your budget so that we can attend to the issues that the residents are asking.”
A Future for Ladyville As a Town
Florencio Marin Jr
“Yes, we’ve had some discussion of this in Cabinet about the different sizes of villages. Like for example, I know there are certain villages that only have about three hundred voters, versus Ladyville, which I believe they’re way past – they’re huge. I mean, clearly they can’t be treated or governed the same way. So I mean, this has to become part of the public discourse and then depending on our Cabinet guides us is how the ministry will look at it.”
Could Orange Walk Town soon become Orange Walk City? If its current growth is any indication, the answer might be yes, and sooner than you think. Marion Ali for News Five.