Micah Goodin has Fourteen Days to Step Down as Deputy Mayor

Prior to his departure for Barbados on May fourteenth, Mayor Wagner informed the council that in the wake of the shooting incident involving Deputy Mayor Goodin, he would retain oversight of the day-to-day operations at City Hall.  He says that the decision to remain in charge was in the best interest of employees, as well as the sanctity of CitCo.

Bernard Wagner

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Council

“My action there was just to protect my staff at City Hall and to protect the image of the council. I couldn’t leave the country with all that hanging over the council and my staff being agitated, some of them in anxiety given the incident that occurred the Friday night and not knowing if there will be any sort of retaliation. You know how these things are in Belize City, in this very small city.  And so, my staff came to me and they said, “Listen, we are a bit anxious. We noh feel safe.”  And so, before I left on the Sunday I quickly sent that email because you can manage from a distance, COVID has taught us that we can still manage from afar and at the end of the day, it’s the city administrator that does the day-to-day operations of the city, running the city. The mayor just serves as a kind of ceremonial figure. It comes right back to judgment. When you are in public life you have to carry yourself a certain way. What you used to do you can’t do anymore and I continuously implore to our councilors that you have to demonstrate high value.  You have to have a high value system and restrain yourself. There are many ways you can socialize, but you have to do it in a responsible way and that is the message.”

Isani Cayetano

“My understanding yesterday was when this motion was tabled, essentially he was being given until end of day to be able to demit office. Failing that, it would then trigger the fourteen-day window. Has he made any expression that he has in fact or will in fact step down from the post as deputy mayor?”

Bernard Wagner

“To date I have not received any indication of that, so I do believe now that that fourteen-day window has began to roll.”