Deputy Mayor Says Budget Cut Should be Evenly Spread Across All Municipalities

A former councilor tells News Five that the yearly subsidy is approximately eighty thousand dollars.  Twenty percent less is roughly sixty-four thousand dollars.  That individual, along with Deputy Prime Minister Faber, agrees that the sum is still workable, considering the fact that other revenue generating activities can be held on the day that would help to defray the cost of pulling off the event.  Arnold maintains that the decision will solely affect residents of Belize City.

Isani Cayetano

“Does Belize City command the largest slice of the pie in respect of the overall budget for September Celebrations?  If so, do you believe perhaps, that another municipality could have taken a smaller cut or cumulatively, the other municipalities could have taken a smaller cut so that Belize’s one remains intact?”

Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor, Belize City

Oscar Arnold

“Okay, first of all, we are the largest municipality.  I don’t have the information for what the budgets are for other municipalities, but I share your view and your sentiment Isani, that if there was a cut, then maybe it should have been shared across the board.  That would have been a little bit easier pill to swallow and more palatable for all the residents.  What you’ve done in one singular decision, in one stroke of the pen is that you’re punishing eighty-thousand plus residents of the city of Belize.”

The Belize City Council admits that while funding to Belize City has been slashed by twenty percent, the National Celebrations Commission has received fifty percent more funding from a single international donor this year, when compared to the amount it received in 2016.