U.D.P. asks government to draft Belmopan City Council Bill

The United Democratic Party is asking the government to give voters in Belmopan some idea of the type of city council they would be getting if they vote “yes” in the November twenty-fourth referendum. They also want the election delayed a year if residents vote to become a city. This evening the party issued a copy of a letter to the Prime Minister Said Musa detailing their concern that the electors cannot make an informed decision without more information. The U.D.P. says people need to know how many councilors there will be, how they will be elected and the nature of the property taxes they would have to pay. Since the referendum cannot be postponed, the U.D.P. is asking the government to prepare and circulate a draft of a Belmopan City Council Bill before the referendum. The U.D.P. says pushing back the City Council Election, in effect the start of the City of Belmopan, to March of 2001 would give everyone enough time for proper planning and consultation with the people of Belmopan. Last week the Prime Minister held a town meeting with residents to discuss the upcoming vote. The government has said that whether or not Belmopan becomes a city, residents will be expected to pay property taxes beginning in April and that to assist with administrative costs the City of Belmopan would continue to receive the two hundred thousand dollar a year subvention as well as an additional one hundred thousand. The Reconstruction and Development Corporation is currently responsible for running Belmopan.