St George Corp ‘Saddened And Disappointed’
Noting they are “saddened and disappointed the Bermuda Government has produced a consultation document with very limited consultation,” St George’s Mayor Quinell Francis said they will host a Town Hall meeting to discuss the future of the Town as proposed in the Municipalities Reform 2019 Consultation Document.
Should the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George be changed into quangos while “increasing the Government’s oversight over key initiatives” or should they be dissolved, and have their functions integrated into the “Government’s administrative structure.” Those are the two options being presented in a public consultation regarding the future of Bermuda’s municipalities.
On Monday, February 18 at 7pm at Penno’s Wharf Cruise Terminal, the residents and businesses are asked to attend a special Town Hall meeting, which they said “may be the last in the 400-year history of Town of St George.”
Topics for discussion:
- The future of the Town – its economic opportunities
- The Corporation – it’s staff, it’s assets, it’s services
- The heritage of St George – it’s value
- The Government offer to take control of the Town
Mayor Francis said, “The Corporation of St George is saddened and disappointed the Bermuda Government has produced a consultation document with very limited consultation, and the offer of the abolishment of the Town’s 400 years of heritage that the Corporation has cared for. The offer by the Bermuda Government means the Town gets absorbed into Government — directly or becomes a Quango.
“St. George is a close-knit community, and the recent elections demonstrated that the people of St. George exercised their right to a vote. Residents and Businesses currently have a voice through the electoral process, and with the recommended proposals there will be no more elections as the Government will appoint a Board. The Town has operated independent of the Government for over 200 years.
“The Bermuda Government’s statement that the Corporation’s role is only infrastructure is false. We have always managed the economic, social and cultural affairs of the Town on behalf of the residents and businesses.
“Moreover, the operating funds the Town needs are under Bermuda Government control — wharfage, grants for the World Heritage Site and cruise ships. The team at the Corporation have worked with all these challenges, and I publicly appreciate all their hard work.
The Mayor closes, “We are passionate about our Town, the heritage, and the future. Our Town residents and businesses are the Corporation of St George. If St George’s heritage, economy and people are important to you, we ask you to attend this special meeting.”
They want more of the new hotel sprouting on Catherines Bay.
Simple.
Your being about to be screwed.
Move to Paget Island.
The town doesn’t help itself.
I went to SG on Good Friday last year and half of the shops and restaurants were closed, we couldn’t even get a lunch table.
The town was packed, and it didn’t take advantage. It feels like a time warp – so fine if you want your religious holiday, but don’t complain when the shutters come down.
Vortex, as a St. George’s resident I understand your point.
However, I also see the many, many days when our stores and restaurants are open with no one in them.
Please come back to our Town and support it as it truly is a very special place. I will take you on a short tour if you let me know when you are coming.
As a resident of St. George’s I partly see your view Vortex, however, the Procession to Calgary is a major event on Good Friday that occupies a significant number of out towns people.
I do hope you attended our first boat parade which was a wonderful event.
When you next head to St. George’s let me know and I will provide a short tour of our lovely streets.
So would the PLP stop religious holidays in St George then?
Vortex most places island wide tend to be closed on Good Friday, even Ice Queen. So that is not a fair assessment.
So , how do all those St Georgians feel now about their plp votes ?
This isn’t going to end well for you all but don’t say you weren’t forewarned.
The current administrative government isn’t making enough money to fulfill their entire agenda and therefore need to find other ways to provide revenue. The sugar tax, rental tax, and other initiatives are how they intend to do this. It just so happens that seizing control over both corporations are just another way to do this. It will be disguised as “Protection from another Par-la-Ville Hotel” fiasco from happening (which is somewhat needed). Shortly after the power is seized, the general public may start to realized that less development is done in the city of Hamilton as the money is funneled to ‘other means and ventures’.
There is nothing that can be done to prevent this because the people that are willing to march against an action like this blindly back their horse and the people that are against this are not confrontational.
Yup!
The plp are desperate they need money …fintech was a bust ( like that’s a surprise) and the old folks who make up 25% of voters rejected there rent tax ….plp the vampires are out looking for cash …the stgeorges corp small fry but that fuel tax that the oba gave them the plp want ….Hamilton lord knows what they think they can do ….they don’t own the property so we will see…..this plp vampire is getting desperate they don’t have the ability to get us out of this …..PLEASE plp time to RESIGN you cant BS any longer the Ernie and Burt show is over when they had to produce they couldn’t …shame blaming it on the media what a disgrace but when a rat is cornered they strike out
This government is failing and they are desperately looking for someone else to blame,for the Premier to attack the media, for reporting what we all know is facts was a poor attemt to shift the blame for his failed attempts to recover our economy.
The PLP cannot run Bermuda yet it wants to take over the two Corporations. Signs of desperation setting in with various Ministers doing their own thing with no word from the Premier, assuming there is one. It seems each Minister, especially those without a portfolio, are out to show who’s top dog, with a dog eat dog approach.
Tried to warn you years ago,but you all went green,now the plp are going to take all your green.
Too late now,close the border yourself,I quit.
Comment of the day!
Well said Mayor Francis.
St. Georgians, now is the time to come together and have your voices heard.
See you Monday night!
Where is Kim Swan?!?! Is this what he campaigned on?!?! Hahahaha!!! Fools!!
David Burt wants the money to give to the fintech people to beg them to come here and to keep Renee living in luxury in Belgium
lets see if we as passionate about our town and lively hood as we are about marching against a much needed airport or trying to stop folks who love each getting married, we need to march again to say no to this NO NO NO NO NO………..
You get what you vote for. The OBA brought investments and opportunity to St.Georges after many years of neglect and no opportunities under the PLP Government. St. Georges is getting what they voted for!
The looting of St George’s.
The PLP needs more assets that they can borrow against. Just about everything else we own as taxpayers is mortgaged up to the ying yang & we struggle to pay the daily costs of the loans never mind balance a budget, which won’t happen anytime soon.
St Georges & Hamilton are asset rich though cash poor.
Let’s link arms outside the house of assembly
Protest govt taking over the corporations
Highly unlikely to happen.
St Georgins how you feel about your vote now
As a St Georgian, I have tried to look at this objectively. I have concerns but I also note that the Corporation of St George’s hasn’t helped itself. I have yet to see any additional revenue streams and no real financial plan to grow the town. They constantly look to the government for funding and now they don’t understand why this is happening…. personally I am interested to hear more before I decide….
Where is the Peoples Campaign now? Hahaha!
Rename to St George’s Corporation M.D. That will get them some good money from the Government