Belize City administrator sees need for financial oversight

And while the misdeeds of the outgoing Belize City
mayor may not have been a specific item on the seminar’s agenda, the city’s past and present chief administrator admitted that financial oversight is an issue that must be addressed.

Janelle Chanona
?But Ms. Moya has shown us stuff, documents for salary advances … That?s what I?m asking, were you aware of all the salary advances he was getting along with the bounced cheques.?

Colwyn Flowers, Belize City Administrator
?No, no, the bounced cheques would be something separate. You can just send that to a cashier and have your cheque cashed. As far as salary advance, well if he makes salary advance, well that?s within his rights. How much he takes, then that?s a different matter.?

Janelle Chanona
?Okay, but sorry, I?m just trying to get at you again, as city administrator you were not aware of what was happening with the bounced cheques, with the salary advances? You were not in a position to say, excuse me, but this looking excessive, this looks funny? Why are you doing this??

Colwyn Flowers
?The bounced cheques are an after fact thing … that is just coming to light. I don?t even think the financial manager was aware of those bounced cheques in the last, just around elections. We are hearing of that in the media after those cheques were returned. But to get back to your point, yeah there are cheques in his name, there are for social assistance and of course there is other. If you notice, some of the signatures are not mine, they are way before. But as the mayor of the city, he does have the right to some of these cheques in his name. Of course, you would have proper accounting where you say exactly where it?s spent and how it?s spent.?

Janelle Chanona
?So he had free reign over city monies, there was nobody there to give any checks and balances??

Colwyn Flowers
?Check and balances is there, you have chapter 85. I don?t recall saying seeing in the any of the regulations there where it says that the Mayor shall not. But of course you?d use prudence in controlling these things especially if you are at the top.?

Janelle Chanona
?Looking at the information that has surfaced, Mr. Flowers do you feel any responsibility for letting things get as far as they did??

Colwyn Flowers
?I?m there for like two and a half years now. Last year I?ve been learning. The thing is, nothing is written and say that thou shalt not, but now we need to put that in place, after all he is the chief. We have political side of the council and we have an administrative staff side of the council. If you can recall, you?re not hearing anything from that side. What we need is some good measure put in place, perhaps a citizen committee that does an oversight of the mayor and the council. They have absolute authority to assign what they want to themselves.?