Mayor said the B.E.L. disconnection was uncalled for
City Hall had a tough day on Wednesday; it landed itself a black eye after B.E.L. pulled the plug bright and early for unpaid bills. The Belize City Mayor, Zenaida Moya Flowers, pulled no punches this morning in expressing how infuriated she is about the disconnection. Moya Flowers says that the council received a twenty-six page excel document on Monday evening and it was lights out a day and half later, at a time when the office was packed with consumers paying property taxes. According to the Mayor, when she took office in 2006, she was handed a list of debts that added up to eleven point two million dollars, but B.E.L. was nowhere on it. She says the current Council had no knowledge of the unpaid bills, which date back twelve years and that no payments will change hands until the matter is thoroughly investigated.
Zenaida Moya Flowers
Zenaida Moya Flowers, Belize City Mayor
“While Councilor Leslie was saying 2003, my perusal, I looked at it and I saw that there were many of the accounts that they were saying that we’re supposed to pay were for little bills dating back from 1999. That is way beyond my time. I went into office March first, 2006 and so for BEL to have gone back from 1999 I don’t know what they are trying to do, what they are attempting to do but it really raised my eyes as to why they would go back from 1999 when this council came into office in 2006. So we have been reviewing it and we will try to ensure that whatever is proper is done because the Belize City Council, we don’t have any bills when we got into office 2006, stating that we owe BEL. As a matter of fact, when we got into office we continued paying and as far as we know we are up to date. So whoever pulled those bills out of a hat from 1999, clearly we will have to ensure that the council does due diligence and that our legal team looks at it as well. Also, for any manager or any higher-ups to okay pulling the plug or cutting off the lights from City Hall, to me it shows vindictiveness because the council is not just any entity. It’s there conducting work on behalf of all the residents of Belize City.
We at the City Hall don’t even have those records dating back. When we got into office, as a matter of fact, we don’t even get records for the 2005 period much less 1999. So that’s why you need to really understand that this council was not presented with those bills and so I don’t believe that this council should simply jump up and take the people’s money and pay bills that is alleged that the council owes dating back 1999. And even statute bar, you have to look at those measures. I mean, 1999 man? Why did Belize Electricity Limited not ensure that the council of 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 pay those bills? Why come to our council 2011?”
B.E.L. has asked that the council provide a response by Friday on how they intend to proceed. But Mayor Moya Flowers says they need time because the document only lists account numbers and balances, but has no indication of where the service was provided or to whom. We were unable to confirm if there is in fact one very recent unpaid bill. The mayor was this morning on Open Your Eyes.
This is so ridiculous, I don’t know who to believe. If Mpya is right, BEL should eat the loss & take a closer look at their operation & FIX IT. No public utilities or government entity should be this inefficient.
I would like to know if the taxpayers have been paying the City Councilors utility bills for their private residences.
This is all too funny…suddenly the Mayor has a heart and just don’t want to take the “peoples money” to pay the light bill…but she could have taken the “people’s money” to over-pay herself and build the big house though. What she could do, is sell the mansion on the road and pay the bill…I am sure the residents of the city would get back their money and all would live happily ever after…Like Joe Coye “Z” political career is over…
Moya stole the funds that they were suppose to pay the electricity bill and yet she acting retarded like this is news to her.
Get off your high horse Mayor!!! What do you mean citco is not just any entity? You are administrators, plain and simple.
You are nothing special or above the law and don’t deserve preferential treatment just because they stick honerable in front of your names. Your big problem is everyone over there thinks that they can do what they want, and make up the rules as you go along with no repercussions How does it feel Mayor? Citco pulled the plug on my business, now I’m laughing my a$$ off.
BEL is a professional company that is well run and has its house in order. Why? because Fortis is a CANADIAN company and is not run by the government. I will take thier word anyday over a bunch of underdepositing lying bunch of thieves.
PS leave the “It wasn’t me” to Shaggy your song is getting old.
Could somebody PLEEEEEEASE tell this thieving #%$## how much she is despised, loathed and distrusted by most of the people who voted her into office? I personally am tired of seeing you stupid face, hearing your pathetic lies and your Disgusting !$%#!NG voice. Just Get !%$% away into oblivion and enjoy all that you have stolen till Karma comes knocking on your door. That goes for the entire past and present council and BOTH political parties. Make way for fresh faces and people with REAL vision for the country and people of Belize. You have overstayed your welcome Zenaida!!!!! In the words of my favourite blogger Rod: “RESIGNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!”
produce the 29 pages on your website so we can see who Is lying..you promise BTL BEACH and 5 floors of parking lot on Regent st so done know who LIAD..worst City Council everrrr…
The current council should have either settled the bills when they got voted in, or made alternative arrangements with BEL.
No use bleating about it and blaming both BEL & the PUP.
They took over the city, and they should have ensured that everything was cleared up and paid for as their first priority, even if it meant the councillors taking a dip in their pay & allowances (Surely the Mayor wouldn’t have missed a couple of thousand a month from her 9,000+ paycheck?). At the end of the day BEL had every right to disconnect, and they shouldn’t have reconnected until the arrears were paid in full, plus reconnection fees – JUST LIKE ANY OTHER CUSTOMER!
The previous administration, especially the Mayor Fonseca (Fundstaker) should have been prosecuted for corruption, theft and fraud, and be in jail now. But they are all the same, and won’t do anything agains a fellow ‘club’ member, regardless of which party.
It’s the same as the Police rarely prosecuting the Police – corruption breeds corruption, and the only ones that suffer are the general public, not connected and allowed entry to the ‘follow the money’ club.
This council has been as corrupt and incompetent as the last one, and the same applies with the government, it’s just that they are hiding their corruption a little better than the PUP did (They waved in our faces and rubbed our noses in it, and all the time telling us what a goood country we live in).They are all only interested in lining their pockets, and not serving the people who voted them there in the first place.
Belize City – in fact, most of the country – is still a crime ridden filthy slum, despite the multi-millions paid to the council/G.O.B. in taxes by the residents. The only ones who live in the city, apart from the councillors, area representatives and their cronies are the RATS.
I meant to say “The only ones who live in the city, apart from the councillors, area representatives and their cronies that are benefitting from all of this corruption are the RATS.”
The Mayor shouldn’t have to deal with issues like paying utility bills. Isn’t there administrators and the financial controller to do that?
This lady knows no boundary..she lies and lies for the heck of it…
Why does the mayor have to deal with the paying of utility bills. Her administrators and the financial controller need to do their job!
is Dan Planet the Canadian who refuse to pay the City Council his trade license like every other Belizean nightclub owner? Dan, you need to pay you bill and stop thinking you can come into our country and break our laws. don’t be posting bs on this blog until you abide by our laws.
like i said, Dan Planet you need to pay your trade license like evry other Belizean nightclub owner and stop try to badmouthing the mayor because she woman enough to make you pay. remember you can always go back to Canada!
Hey Marco you don’t know what you are talking about. I was willing to pay my licence but the laws of Belize, your laws, clearly state that if you have a liquor licence and you don’t sell anything else like food souveniers etc. you do not need a trade licence. I have been telling them this for two years and it finallly went to court and I won. But citco like a bunch of whining little babies couldn’t accept the magistrates decision and wouldn’t renew my liqour licence, I had a face to face with the Mayor and she told me I have to pay a trade licence and refused to follow the laws of her own country.Don’t you post on this blog until you know all the facts.