After eight years of running the Town Council under the UDP administration Mayor Elsa Paz held an official meeting to present an end of term financial report of the San Pedro Town Council; reports are due every year. Last night San Pedro got a 15-minute report of random figures that lead to only one conclusion. San Pedro is still in the dark when it comes to getting a clear picture of the financial operations of the San Pedro Town Council.
Here is Mayor Elsa Paz’s opening statement: “As we are coming to the end of our final term 2009-2012, the San Pedro Town Council in keeping with its manifesto promise of being open and accountable to the residents of our island, we are here to report to you the electorate on what the Council has been able to complete during this last term in office.”
The report was due at an official meeting of the San Pedro Town Council where the public was invited. However, the council counted with only two of its members with four notably absent, and only six persons in the audience after five marched out of the Lions Den after learning from the mayor that no questions would be entertained.
Mayor Paz made mention that for the year 2009-2010 the total revenue collected was $4.1Mil and boasted $300,000 more than budgeted. No figures were given as to actual sources of revenues but did mention a few donations from business community, from Minister of Tourism, and a grand $226,000.00 from Grand Belizean Estates.
Then the Mayor reported that her total revenue for 2010-2011 was a flat $5Mil, no more/no less. However she immediately added that the Council got a loan of $1.4 million for payments of pavement of Angel Coral Street and again Grand Belizean Estates taking full responsibility of the loan.
And finally for the year 2011-2012 the council reported its total revenue collected as $4.2Mil. A few other donations for Waterford Development and Heredia Flamboyant Park were cited and then she proceeded to mention several areas where donations were made (without citing figures) like scholarships, the police and the fire departments as well as Costa Maya and Garifunas, funerals, dance company and consultancies fees.
However when the listening audience on radio was expecting the most important part of the report which is the expenditures, the Mayor gradually came to the end of the report by stating: “Ladies and gentlemen, we were elected to serve your mandate and thus our obligation to report to you. May progress continue for La Isla Bonita! Thank you.”
Two persons attempted to ask for questions on details of expenditures, and the Mayor responded that anyone interested can go to the Town council Office and ask the administrator for a report. With that D. J Polito who was the moderator thanked everyone for attending and thus concluded the much anticipated and so vital financial report of the Town of San Pedro by the elected officials. Sadly, San Pedro is still in darkness.
N.B. Ambergris Today has received a copy of the report with some more details attached and will digest this report on Monday of next week.
