City Council takes action on overgrown lots

With the new year upon us, the Belize City Council is wasting no time in getting the old capital into shape. Jacqueline Woods reports.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

We’ve all heard the slogan, “Keep Belize Clean and Beautiful” but, a drive through many of our city neighbourhoods reveal we still have a long way to go. The problem is not just the careless dumping of garbage but overgrown and abandoned properties that are not just an eyesore, but a potential danger to residents.

Paco Smith, Public Relations Officer, CITCO

“On a daily basis, the Public Relations Department of the Belize City Council receives numerous complaints with regard to overgrown lots and lights. The lots are overgrown, but not only is that one of the concerns, but a lot of times people like to utilise them as garbage dumps.

Belize City has many abandoned lots. These have become a health hazard because they’ve overgrown and also harbour snakes and rodents and what have you.”

In the past, the Belize City Council would encourage landowners to upkeep their properties, but the problem has steadily increased. Today it is estimated that there are over two hundred to these abandoned properties.

A survey conducted by the Belize City Council, reveals that most of the properties are held by absentee landowners. Paco Smith, Public Relations Officer for the Council, says in many cases owners have simply failed to pay their property tax and have totally neglected the land. However, measures recently taken by Citco not only promise to clean up the mess, but place the abandoned properties in fresh hands.

Paco Smith

“One addresses the issue of in terms of the clean and clearing of these abandoned lots. Belize City Council will be embarking upon an effort to clear these abandoned lots, but the stipulation is that we need to go through the Municipal Court, so that the cost incurred by the Belize City Council, can be tagged onto the property taxes for the particular lots.”

Jacqueline Woods

“But how will this really address the problem if already they are delinquent in their property taxes?”

Paco Smith

“That ties into the second resolution, whereby the Belize City Council will go through the Municipal Court again, to see if we can begin to auction off these properties.”

Smith says they are in the process of submitting a list of the names of absentee landowners to the Municipal Court to allow them to start cleaning the abandoned lots. Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.