Municipalities Bill Seeks Reform, Defer Elections

March 9, 2018

The Municipalities Amendment Act 2018 “proposes to defer elections for a year until May 2019 while the Government undertakes consultations with the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George,” Minister of Home Affairs Walton Brown said in the House of Assembly today [March 9].

“During this period, Government will determine the most appropriate method to strengthen and modernize municipal governance for the benefit of Bermuda,” the Minister said.

Minister Brown said, “Further governance reform of the municipalities is now necessary as a result of:

  • Failures of accountability and proper due diligence and governance in the awarding of contracts. Honourable members will recall that the proposed Hamilton waterfront and Par-la-Ville hotel developments resulted in a highly critical report by the Bermuda Ombudsman, legislative intervention by the Government of Bermuda, the assumption of temporary stewardship, and an arbitration that has cost many millions to the public purse. This saga continues in the case of the Mexico Infrastructure Finance [MIF] vs the Corporation of Hamilton where, as you will recall, $12 million went missing. The case is now headed to the Privy Council;
  • Inadequate resources to undertake important public infrastructure projects such as the needed upgrade to the sewerage system;
  • Policy and operations that need to be aligned with Government policies and legislation, and lack of consultation with the relevant Government Departments in relation to infrastructure. Reform is needed to assure collaboration between Ministries of Public Works and Public Safety and Home Affairs before embarking on projects that impact traffic control and the making of ordinances;
  • Breaches of protocol, for example, the Corporation invited the Taiwan Government to contact the Bermuda Government to enter into a tax information exchange agreement without first speaking to the Premier and Minister of Finance; and
  • The need to coordinate with Government in major developments because financial resources of the public purse, whether of the Bermuda Government or the Corporations, are limited.

‘This bill seeks to provide the following:

  • allow officers, when necessary, from relevant Government departments, to participate in discussions regarding infrastructure repairs or maintenance to avoid such issues as concerns about road closures, traffic flow, planning issues, etc. in order to provide advice to the Minister;
  • allow for the Minister to provide directions to the Corporations if he considers that it is in the “best interests of Bermuda” and ensure that the Corporations gives effect to any such directions. This would have allowed, for example, the Minister to directly intervene in issues such as the recently announced closure of the docks, a problem that has developed over time.
  • Allow the Minister to direct the Corporations to undertake projects that will provide economic benefit to the whole of the island, such as the Hamilton waterfront or the St. George’s marina. We have learned that the 2016 Court of Appeal judgment in the matter of the Mexico Infrastructure Finance [MIF] vs the Corporation of Hamilton ruled that the development [Par La Ville hotel] could not be progressed because “the development would be something which would clearly be for the benefit of the whole Island, but does not relate to the functions of the local government of the City of Hamilton in particular” and was therefore ultra vires.

“The existence of municipal governments in Bermuda may have raised concern in times when there were examples of inefficient allocation of resources in such a small jurisdiction,” the Minister said.

“However, the impetus for changing this arrangement has never been very strong particularly when the Corporations have largely been able and had the resources to govern their affairs properly and efficiently. The Government believes that this can no longer be sensibly argued, and the case for changing the status quo has become stronger in recent years.

The Minister’s full statement follows below:

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I rise to table in this Honourable House, the bill entitled Municipalities Amendment Act 2018.

Mr. Speaker, this Bill proposes to defer elections for a year until May 2019 while the Government undertakes consultations with the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George, and the residents and ratepayers in each municipality, and with the general public of Bermuda. During this period, Government will determine the most appropriate method to strengthen and modernize municipal governance for the benefit of Bermuda.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable members will recall that reform in respect of municipalities in Bermuda has been undertaken by successive Government administrations, with extensive amendments to the Municipalities Act 1923 in 2010, in 2013, and in 2015.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members should note that local governance and financial accountabilities have been extensively reformed in other jurisdictions; such as:

  • the creation of unitary authorities for local government that has seen the creation of larger municipal areas and improved financial accountabilities; and
  • consolidation of legal authority to levy taxes to assure that the needs of local authorities are met.

Ongoing reform is likely to be evolutionary. Municipalities in Bermuda do not deliver social services, which are the exclusive authority of the Government of Bermuda, although the need for social services within the municipalities are growing and the only recourse is to Government.

The two levels of taxation and the segregation of authority between the municipalities and central government while necessary in larger jurisdictions, may not be justifiable in a geographic area of 22 square miles, the size of Bermuda, having regard to current fiscal realities.

Mr. Speaker, further governance reform of the municipalities is now necessary as a result of:

  • Failures of accountability and proper due diligence and governance in the awarding of contracts. Honourable members will recall that the proposed Hamilton waterfront and Par-la-Ville hotel developments resulted in a highly critical report by the Bermuda Ombudsman, legislative intervention by the Government of Bermuda, the assumption of temporary stewardship, and an arbitration that has cost many millions to the public purse. This saga continues in the case of the Mexico Infrastructure Finance [MIF] vs the Corporation of Hamilton where, as you will recall, $12 million went missing. The case is now headed to the Privy Council;
  • Inadequate resources to undertake important public infrastructure projects such as the needed upgrade to the sewerage system;
  • Policy and operations that need to be aligned with Government policies and legislation, and lack of consultation with the relevant Government Departments in relation to infrastructure. Reform is needed to assure collaboration between Ministries of Public Works and Public Safety and Home Affairs before embarking on projects that impact traffic control and the making of ordinances;
  • Breaches of protocol, for example, the Corporation invited the Taiwan Government to contact the Bermuda Government to enter into a tax information exchange agreement without first speaking to the Premier and Minister of Finance; and
  • The need to coordinate with Government in major developments because financial resources of the public purse, whether of the Bermuda Government or the Corporations, are limited.

Mr. Speaker, this bill seeks to provide the following:

  • allow officers, when necessary, from relevant Government departments, to participate in discussions regarding infrastructure repairs or maintenance to avoid such issues as concerns about road closures, traffic flow, planning issues, etc. in order to provide advice to the Minister;
  • allow for the Minister to provide directions to the Corporations if he considers that it is in the “best interests of Bermuda” and ensure that the Corporations gives effect to any such directions. This would have allowed, for example, the Minister to directly intervene in issues such as the recently announced closure of the docks, a problem that has developed over time.
  • Allow the Minister to direct the Corporations to undertake projects that will provide economic benefit to the whole of the island, such as the Hamilton waterfront or the St. George’s marina. We have learned that the 2016 Court of Appeal judgment in the matter of the Mexico Infrastructure Finance [MIF] vs the Corporation of Hamilton ruled that the development [Par La Ville hotel] could not be progressed because “the development would be something which would clearly be for the benefit of the whole Island, but does not relate to the functions of the local government of the City of Hamilton in particular” and was therefore ultra vires.

Mr. Speaker, the existence of municipal governments in Bermuda may have raised concern in times when there were examples of inefficient allocation of resources in such a small jurisdiction.

However, the impetus for changing this arrangement has never been very strong particularly when the Corporations have largely been able and had the resources to govern their affairs properly and efficiently.

The Government believes that this can no longer be sensibly argued, and the case for changing the status quo has become stronger in recent years.

Thank you Mr. Speaker

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Comments (29)

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  1. nerema says:

    Deferring elections.

    Slowly, Bermuda is becoming a non-democratic authoritarian state.

    • Free Thinker says:

      Again? Dictatorship only when your guy is not in power I see. You all need to live in a real authoritarian state, maybe only then will you all stop using that word so loosely. You sure as hell wouldn’t be able to make stupid comments like that or any comments for that sake.

  2. Joe Bloggs says:

    “However, the impetus for changing this arrangement has never been very strong particularly when the Corporations have largely been able and had the resources to govern their affairs properly and efficiently. The Government believes that this can no longer be sensibly argued, and the case for changing the status quo has become stronger in recent years.”

    In other words, the Government is going to abolish the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George, keep all the dock fees and do what it wants to do with the land.

    • MB says:

      If I were them i think I would too.
      Can’t be any worse than what they have done…though St George’s team does an amazing job.

      • Onion Juice says:

        Not worst then legislating a law to abolish established contrats.

        • northR says:

          “Not worst then legislating a law to abolish established contrats.”

          The PLP did that too, what’s your point?
          Oh, it’s oj, you have no point.

        • Zevon says:

          You mean the one where a nonentity builder thought he should get $1.2bn?

  3. sandgrownan says:

    “This bill seeks to provide the following: PLP control over the corporations, because, you know, when we’re done buggering up the rest of the country, we need something else to do.”

    There, no need to read anything else.

  4. regulatorymisnomer says:

    “During this period, Government will determine the most appropriate method to strengthen and modernize municipal governance for the benefit of Bermuda,” the Minister said.

    In other words, “how can we get a bit of the pie and benefit our friends and family, and two fingers up to the rest of Bermuda”

  5. dsd says:

    How come the Taiwan protocol bizareness has never been made public? What moron did that – given the Chinese kneejerk reaction over any thing to do with Taiwan?

  6. Double S says:

    Another simple tax/asset grab.

    All the issues listed in the Minister’s statements can be traced directly back to their previous manipulation of the Municipalities.

    For instance under the previous PLP administration the main revenue streams for the Corporations were stripped away, thus preventing them from keeping up with necessary infrastructure maintenance.

    It was their ‘Team Hamilton’ administration which gave away the Waterfront under a sham RFP. Interesting stance now issued by the PLP given their ‘outrage’ regarding the rescinding of the contract by the OBA. When it was rescinded it was labelled undemocratic and a racial attack. Now the PLP see it as evidence of unethical Corporation administration.

    This Government is schizophrenic and hypocritical and has no issues misleading their support base. Just amazing what an election can do to one’s views on certain subjects.

  7. sandgrownan says:

    Power grab…..

  8. Jus' Wonderin' says:

    But when the OBA brought it up it was considered bad….lmfao PLP jokers

  9. Warlord2 says:

    Can someone please name something this government has done that is positive since they were elected.I am having a hard time coming up with something.

    • Change the name back to UBP says:

      I said the same thing about the fools in the oba/UBP for 4 plus years, thus the whoop a$$ they received last election.

      They wasted 4 years trying to take Doc Brown to Court LOLOLOL

    • Peace says:

      Plenty but it just didnt benefit you! IN YO FACE! LOL

    • Onion Juice says:

      Gave seniors and workers an increase in 5 years after SpongeBob told us we are broke and money dont grow on trees, then pulled over $70 Million out of thin air to host a sailboat race for Billionaires.

      • Brady says:

        Boring

      • Stevie says:

        Bunion juice. You are thick that you can’t see. I guess to much green im your face. Dumb arse.

    • Joe Bloggs says:

      This PLP government has positively passed 2 Acts stripping Human Rights from people in Bermuda

  10. yo says:

    where are the Jobs? taxed, increases and punitive measures and reduced services is all that happening with this lot

  11. Stevie says:

    Only thing PLP government doing is putting Bermuda in debt…again.

  12. Oh really says:

    The sad part about these fools is they truly believe they know what they are doing. They will run this island to the ground. Another 5 years from now they will have spent every bit of money the can find. Watch out pensioners to be when it’s your turn to collect the pot will be empty. They will blame the OBA for it. Bunch of dumb fools.

  13. Spanner breath says:

    Where’s the jobs your creating, trying to spin that one too…

  14. Lives in Reality says:

    To quote a movie which mirrors, the island’s current situation, “So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause.” Applause coming from the party’s, “party before all else” die-hard supporters.

  15. Rocky5 says:

    PLP are just like TRUMP. Want all the power and money for themselves. If they follow through City services will just deteriorate further and we’ll have more debt.