TIME FOR A CHANGE

On the 18^th March, 2007 it was the Village Council Election and the UDP was victorious and most villagers in San Jose Succotz were excited and happy for the change after fifteen long years. All went well in the beginning but when it came to action the leaders were kind of weak and uncertain in their ability to handle the situation. During the first Fiesta it was evident that these leaders were not the kind of men the villagers had hoped to have as administrators.

It is true that they are young but clearly they lack the leadership ability everyone had expected.

With only five months to go for new elections the Council is dead and completely inactive – no action by the Chairman, no monthly or annual meetings, no financial reports and no report to the people. It appears that these young guys just contested the election for fun and entertainment with no real serious intention or plan of action for the community.

The Chairman is studying at the University of Belize with entirely no interest in the village. For the Fiesta and September Celebrations he handles everything by himself assisted by his sisters and no member or villager gets to know how funds are obtained and how it is spent. Village affairs seem to be run as private businesses for their own interest with complete disregard to the community.

For the past decades residents of San Jose Succotz have been a brave and courageous people. Many of the previous Councils throughout the years were not perfect. Some were inept, incompetent or corrupt but this one is outright impotent and outright corrupt. These young fellows have disregarded and disrespected the senior citizens with no shame at all. We are a group of young and old citizens watching and awaiting the time for change for a better community.

It also appears that no one in the Rural development Department or whoever cares about the behavior of the village chairman for he seems free to do and go about as he pleases. The craft vendors by the river have been left without charging or collecting the fees that could provide for the maintenance of the riverside and other areas. The Village Funds that come from the revenue from resorts, hotels, clubs and bars is unknown to anyone except the Chairman – no hints or information or reports on this very important matter. Let’s suppose this young guy was not a Catholic religious teacher.

There are a lot of things that will be coming up for our village deserves better. For instance there is a foreigner who has been building his mansion by the highway. This man with complete disregard and disrespect grabbed public land and street spaces on the three sides of the mansion – part of the right of way of the highway, the west side of the entrance of main street and to the west, part of the street which he has almost blocked with walls with a narrow passage with steps.

This is an outright disrespect and contempt of the dignity of our brave and proud people. This action should be the last blow to our national dignity at the hands of the Village Council and its impotent Chairman. The least our people would deserve is that this young fellow resigns because with all this mess things will never improve.

Our village has stood high and proud throughout time and we are ready for a change.

Group of Concerned Citizens.

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