Former Mayor Maintains Stance on Tenure for Administrators

Darrell Bradley

While he dismissed the allegation that it was indeed Joe Bradley who racked up a hefty food and beverage bill nearby, former Mayor Darrell Bradley also spoke candidly on the situation involving beleaguered city administrator Candice Miller.  The present P.U.P. city council says that it has been encumbered by a contract extension which had been granted to the city administrator prior to Bradley’s departure.  She remains suspended for having approved a number of dubious payments that were discovered during the audit.

Isani Cayetano

“The city administrator, I guess the basis of her suspension is in fact, she signed on to some of those payments and the claim here is that she grossly departed from her fiduciary duties.  Can you share with us, as the former mayor, your thoughts on that present situation involving her suspension and why she has been sidelined?”

Darrell Bradley, Former Belize City Mayor

“You see, again, this is an issue and I don’t fault anybody because people have told me, “you know what, politics in Belize is real.”  But this is one of the reasons why we promoted the issue of tenure at City Hall, this is one of the reasons why we passed the Municipal Services Regulations, this is one of the reasons why we ensure that our staff are protected, so that if there is a change in government, you have a person who is there who is entrenched.  Somebody told me and so forth, “Well mayor yoh shoulda mi think bout it because…”

Isani Cayetano

“They feel as though they are saddled with this individual though.”

Darrell Bradley

“Not saddled with that individual, this country was far better when we had permanent secretaries on board.  So when you are talking to me, you’re talking from a policy standpoint and a strategic standpoint.  I’m not talking to you about Candice Miller, I’m not talking to you about the post of city administrator.  You can’t be saddled with a person, it’s not your right when you are elected to fire and put in there who you want.  That is destructive of our country.  This idea of having a politically entrenched public service and a politically entrenched municipal government is an absolute failure.  It is a problem both from the P.U.P. and the U.D.P.   When you get elected you fire people and you put people in there who you want.  That is wrong, that is immoral, that is a sin.”