Mayor of Hamilton Responds to Budget
The Mayor of Hamilton, Charles Gosling today [Feb 20] responded to the 2011/2012 budget released by the Premier and Minister of Finance Paula Cox on Friday.
Mayor Gosling said, “We are currently reviewing the 2011/2012 budget and will meet with our partners to determine its full impact on the City of Hamilton’s operations. Our initial reaction is one of disappointment in that the budget will have a greater negative impact on the City of Hamilton than anticipated.”
“The City of Hamilton’s 2011 budget was already extremely tight given Bermuda’s current financial situation, the reduction in revenues we experienced last year and already this year and a need to present a budget with some degree of balance.”
“I believe a number of capital projects scheduled for this year, which do not impact the immediate safety of the public, will have to be delayed or cancelled.”
“We will have to determine what, if any, mitigating options we have regarding our services, community activities and overall operational capabilities. Given that the monies received from Government are less by one third from the estimated money the City of Hamilton was committed to by government in lieu of wharfage, this can have no other effect than cutting into our basic functionality,” Mayor Gosling concluded.
