City Councilors Call for Micah Goodin to Step Down as Deputy Mayor

A resolution was put forward earlier today during a meeting of the Belize City Council for Deputy Mayor Micah Goodin to relinquish his post at City Hall by day’s end.  Goodin, as we reported two weeks ago, was involved in a shooting incident on Newtown Barracks on the morning of May fourteenth, as he and two other men were leaving a popular establishment after a night on the entertainment strip.  It is reported that Tarique James, Micah Goodin and Tae Medina were involved in a verbal exchange with Kenyon Tillett.  All three men entered Goodin’s vehicle and upon driving away, James fired three shots from the vehicle.  Tillett returned fire and in the process grazed Shadow Councilor Tae Medina on the left side of his neck.  Since then, both James and Tillett were charged for their roles in the shooting incident and despite not being charged criminally, Goodin has come under fire for his involvement in the fracas.  In the wake of the incident, Gooding faced strong criticism from the United Democratic Party.  At the time, Mayor Bernard Wagner was away from the country on official business in Barbados.  While the City Council Act stipulates that the deputy mayor holds over in the absence of the mayor, we understand that Mayor Wagner maintained oversight of City Hall’s daily operations.  Late this evening, City Hall issued a press release.  It reads, “during a closed session of the council, the majority elected officials of the Belize City Council discussed a matter of urgent public importance.  The gun-related incident and other matters that have now come to the forefront, all of which involve dishonorable behavior by Deputy Mayor Goodin, prompted the members to deliberate whether the deputy should continue to serve in this capacity.  Regrettably, the deputy opted not to remain in the council meeting when this was raised in adjournment; however, at the conclusion of this discussion all nine of the elected officials who were present agreed to afford him the opportunity to resign as deputy mayor or be served with notice that a motion will be brought in fourteen days to remove him from this capacity.  Should Goodin opt not to resign at the expiration of the fourteen-day period, a resolution will be tabled at caucus for his removal”.