City Administrator on 3-Week Leave; What’s Going On?
Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt
City Administrator Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt is on a three-week hiatus from her desk at City Hall, reportedly after fallout with Mayor Bernard Wagner, who, reports say, is not pleased with her performance and professional conduct. But is her position with the Belize City Council coming to an abrupt end? It has been reported elsewhere in the media that the spat between the mayor and the city administration took place during a recent caucus meeting, for which the minutes are yet to be disclosed on the council’s website. Outside of a resignation, Lindo-Garbutt will remain as city administrator up until March of 2024, which will be one month after the slated municipal elections. Today, when the media caught up with Mayor Wagner, he was asked about what’s really going on.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor
“Absolutely no truth to that. The point is that the city administrator requested vacation leave, she is due vacation leave. The minutes of the caucus will really…we have been a very transparent council. You can go on our website at any time and see the minutes of those caucus meeting and you will see within the scope of that minutes that what transpired in the caucus was not what your informant said to you, what sources said.”
Reporter
“So you are not looking to replace her anytime soon?”
Bernard Wagner
“No she has a contract up to ending of March 2024. We have always been a council that believes that we will not give any city administrator any council outside our term of office. And so when our term of office concludes in February of 2024, hers conclude in March just to give her that transition period for any new city administrator that the new council may want to bring in, but that’s way down the road.”
Reporter
“But the reports are that in that very particular caucus meeting, her performance was very harshly critiqued by yourself and maybe other members of the council.”
Bernard Wagner
“I wouldn’t want to get into speculations and innuendos and suppositions. The point is that the minutes of the caucus will, within a few days, you will see what really transpired and I ask you to bear some patience with us on that.”
