P.U.P. Belize City Municipal Slate is Nominated!
The March third municipal elections are about two weeks away and while political teams have been on the ground and online campaigning, today they all made it official. We start with nomination day in Belize City, where this morning the P.U.P. candidates, the mayoral hopeful and ten councilor candidates, went to the ITVET for their nominations. It will be a test for incumbent P.U.P. mayor Bernard Wagner whose team was voted into office in March 2018. He’s seeking re-election and hopes that the Belize City residents will return him to City Hall. We caught up with Wagner and his team at the ITVET today. Here’s the story.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
The People’s United Party Belize City eleven were nominated today – in a very low-key nomination event at the ITVET. In their blue shirts – they walked by small groups along Freetown Road and into the ITVET compound. Each of the candidates, accompanied by two nominators, took turns to officially get their names on the P.U.P.’s slates for the Belize City Municipal Elections on March third. Bernard Wagner was first up to be nominated and officially confirmed as the P.U.P.’s Belize City mayoral candidate.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Belize City
“It is nomination day and at least us three here have completed that journey of filling out that nomination form and it went pretty well. We are excited and we did this three years ago and we are overly excited this time around.”
But will the Belize City residents trust Wagner with another term at the Belize City Hall? He believes so – despite the criticisms that he and his team didn’t live up to the expectations and deliverables over the past three years. So, how did he perform as Mayor of Belize City from 2018 to 2021?
Bernard Wagner
“We believe the work we have put in as a city council in terms of the social infrastructure, physical infrastructure – all in a pandemic environment – I believe that in itself is success.”
Andrea Polanco
“We hear from residents that your council has been a disappointment in terms of delivering the needs of the city?”
Bernard Wagner
“Disappointment – it depends on how you define disappointment. The fact of the matter is that our council came under a U.D.P. regime and we weren’t given any handout – compared to the previous council. The previous council had in its coffers over forty million given from Central Government to them in the area of the bonds and from funds of Petro Caribe.”
Andrea Polanco
“How do you respond to the criticisms that the city residents had high expectations of you – with a background in finance and banking – they expected you to find creative and sustainable ways to finance projects for the city – and perhaps that is one of the reasons they voted you in?”
Bernard Wagner
“But, listen man, we were in a COVID pandemic.”
Andrea Polanco
“For one year, Mayor?”
Bernard Wagner
“For one year, but prior to that one year, we were well on our way to achieving most of our manifesto – which our manifesto we have completed about ninety-percent of it. The fact of the matter is you cannot compare this current city council that was in for two years, three years, with the previous council who was there for twelve years.”
So, Wagner says that their achievements, coupled with support from Central Government this time around should make even more of an impact. The incumbent claims they were able to make good on ninety percent of their promises to city residents.
Bernard Wagner
“We have done, in terms of physical infrastructure over sixty plus streets but we don’t toot our horn on physical infrastructure. We toot our horn on activities that impact people’s lives. On Albert Street we did a sale that attracted eighty businesses that drove economic development within the Albert street area within the city – which attracted fifteen thousand residents on a monthly basis. We did sporting programs and we did many other youth upliftment programs dealing with grief therapy and we even instituted an individual who took care of people who went through trauma and these are some of the things we have achieved. I continue to harp that this council never have the resources at its finger tips and we feel more comforted now that given we have a central government to be able to work along with this council, we are excited.”
Andrea Polanco
“The complaint is that we nuh get the support – but the truth is the city residents are voting you in because they are hoping that you will come in with some creative and innovative ways to find funding for these things –and many of these bodies fail to do that – so the argument kinda gets a little bit old?”
Bernard Wagner
“But my good friend we were creative – we were creative – listen we were in the throes of a pandemic and we didn’t terminate not one of our staff – if you don’t define that as success if you will sit here and tell me that is not a measure of success then you go and talk to the Belize Tourism Board employees that were terminated.”
We will find out on March third if city residents return Wagner to city hall – along with his team of ten councilors made up of familiar and new faces hoping for a shot. Kaya Cattouse is one of the most recognizable names in sports in Belize and now this high achiever cyclist wants your vote as a P.U.P. Councilor Candidate for Belize City. Cattouse serves as the acting National Sports Coordinator, National Sports Council of Belize – she wants to bring her cumulative sport and fitness experience and knowledge to city hall.
Kaya Cattouse, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Belize City
“Hearing the name Kaya Cattouse, previously, people didn’t relate that name to politics. This name has been a household name due to my accolades and accomplishments in sports both at home and internationally. Now I want to transfer all this dedication, determination, passion I have for my sports and for the champion that I have become to my political career.”
Andrea Polanco
“What platform are you running on, Kaya? What are some of the things that you would like to do once you get into office?”
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse
“Definitely my aim and objective before going on this venture has been sports and health living in that field in that category of things and definitely coming to the council that is what I bring to the table. Imagine a city erupting with sporting activities and on a yearly basis, not just on the weekends or a particular period of time or during the summer time. Imagine our residents being able to have access to exercise right within their constituencies – these are things we plan to bring to the table.”
Rounding out the ten councilors on the P.U.P.’s 2021 Municipal slate in Belize City are returning councilor candidates, Micah Goodin and Allan Pollard, Albert Vaughan; Javier Castellanos, who are joined by newcomers Edmund Kwan; Michael Novelo; Deannie Requeña; Natasha Pipersburgh; and Stephanne Hamilton. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
