Mayor: ‘Will Disenfranchise The Rate-Payers’
The Municipalities Reform Act ”essentially strips the rate-payer in the City of their voting right” which is “entirely undemocratic,” and the Government should stop using the word ‘quango’ as a “quango is funded by the Government.”
This was from the Mayor of Hamilton in response to the Government tabling a Bill which “proposes to repeal of elections in the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George, and continue these corporations as quangos.”
In urging the community to attend tomorrow’s Town Hall, a City spokesperson said, “The City of Hamilton is encouraging the Bermuda community, especially those that are rate-payers and residents in the City, to attend the Town Hall meeting hosted by Government about municipal reform on Thursday, March 7th at 5:30pm at the Heritage Worship Centre on the corner of Court and Dundonald Streets.
“The Municipalities Reform Act 2019 was tabled in the House of Assembly by Minister Walter Roban last Friday, just one week after public consultation in the form of an online forum, ended.
“The results of that consultation were overwhelmingly against any kind of Government interference in the municipalities, a result that mirrors the results of the St. George’s poll. Government is overriding those results and has yet to acknowledge the results of any other public consultation or private consultation meetings.
“The Reform Act will abolish the electoral process in the municipalities. It states that ‘the Minister shall, in accordance with the Fourth Schedule, appoint Members [the Mayor and the eight Councillors] of each Corporation, and the initial appointment of Members shall take effect on 14 May 2019.”
“The Fourth Schedule goes on to explain that the Minister will appoint the Mayor and four Councillors with the remaining four Councillors to be recommended to the Minister by a Selection Committee, made up of three members.
“It must be noted that it is at the Minister’s discretion as to who sits on the Selection Committee and that they will also be paid in accordance with the Government Authorities [Fees] Act 1971.”
90 minute video of last night’s Town Hall in At George’s, which was on the same topic
Hamilton Mayor Charles Gosling stated, “This Act essentially strips the rate-payer in the City of their voting right, including the residents.
“This Act will disenfranchise the rate-payers, giving them little to no say, no voice when it comes to City matters. It is entirely undemocratic. It is taxation without representation.
“‘With the appointment of five of the Members by the Minister as well as his authority to appoint the Selection Committee that appoints the remaining four Members, he essentially has complete control over who now governs the City.
“‘The Government also needs to stop using the word ‘quango’. It is entirely misleading. By definition a quango is funded by the Government. I didn’t see anything in the budget that allocates funds to the City of Hamilton.
“‘I strongly encourage everyone, especially the rate-payers and residents of the City to attend the Town Hall on Thursday so that they can ask questions of the Minister about their voting rights and impending lack thereof.’”
…nonsense.
You got that right this government took an economy that was booming and ruined it, plunged it into Billions of $ of debt, had cost overruns in the multiple millions on every project they ran, sold our hospital for 30 years and they want to run the two corporations? They say they have money and vision but that is wrong they have neither of those things.
Which parts of the mayor’s statement,specifically, are nonsense?
Ooooooh….I thought he was talking about the plp guy.
That’s not was he gets paid for.
You really are a collosal prick aren’t you.
Removal of democratic rights, taxation without representation. It’s the cement company theft again and tells the business community that the PLP cannot be trusted.
The only thing that would make this more perfect would be if the incompetents installed their favourite cronies like last time – who remembers the nightmayor?
Yes. I remember it well. They specifically removed the right of ratepayers to vote (which meant only residents could do so) and then went and ferried up the Salvation Army residents to vote in exchange for a coffe and a doughnut.
Soon afterwards the Mayor, who had to go suit shopping at the expense of the City for a decent suit, handed over hundreds of thousands of dollars to host a black mayor’s conference that anyone with an internet connection could see was an idiotic move. Those same people actually held a press conference to show how up front and honest they were, before leaving the island with the cash.
Then came the Par-La-Ville hotel debacle. 18 million went poof! The PLP attempted to re write history and to pin this on the OBA after they moved to end the Nightmayor. But the signatures on the transfers were not OBA signatures. They sent the funds off hoping to benefit from the investment income that was promised. And just like the Black Mayors Conference, those guys took off with the cash too.
Excellent summary.
The PLP government or the OBA government for that fact can not show one example of ANY ministry or department that has been run under budget, on budget and is effectively run. Show us one shining star. The corporation of Hamilton and St George are much more effectively run. They should be taking over other government departments.
I URGE ANY PLP OR OBA SUPPORTER TO GIVE ONE EXAMPLE OF A GOVERNMENT RUN DEPARTMENT THAT IS EFFECTIVE, MEETS IT GOALS AND WHERE YOU GET GOOD , FAST SERVICE! NAME ONE PEOPLE!
This is the same government that had $800 MILLION dollars accounted for before the OBA took over? $800 mil people! How many times have you heard of the St Georges or Hamilton corporations not being able to tell you where they spent their money……OR…. who they gave it to!?
Stand your ground Mr. Mayor. This is an outrage and a money grab by those with a history of money grabbing for their own pockets. Everyone should attend and say NO NO NO NO NO to this.
Are you talking about tuckers town?
I think he is talking about $800 mil missing or 1.2 million+ paid to Dr. Brown, or 125K paid to Pastor Bean or the job given to Rene Webb in Brussels that was NOT even advertised.
No, stop avoiding the point. That is an unrelated topic and should be discussed elsewhere.
Learn your history. Tucker’s Town was not the only land expropriation in Bermuda’s history. If you ant to raise that issue raise it in respect of all land expropriations, even the ones that affected white people.
Gosling should tell us why the ubp changed the name to OBA. More people would take him serious.
Seriously. But, Jesus, go look it up. Old news.
Perhaps the PLP should tell us why they are so utterly crap at everything and why everything they touch turns to crap. Have a look at today’s retail figures.
A bit of self awareness and more people would take them seriously.
And yet three PLP ministers are ex-UBP, including two UBP leaders.
It should be called the UBP/PLP.
‘This is an outrage and a money grab by those with a history of money grabbing for their own pockets’
Hold on….who & what? Let’s not go there please.
Ironic that you guys are trying to emulate people that you process to abhor.
Stand up Bermuda …you were conned in protesting against the OBA… the plp and the unions are guilty in propaganda exploit they lie and lie and lie you have all been conned ….it continues today and if you can’t see the truth you are also part of the problem…this government needs to resign they need to give those of us who truly want our home to survive an opportunity to do so
Don’t let this happen Bermuda
Dictatorship must be stopped
They must listen to us we are called Bermudians and this is our home
How long before this government puts forward an Enabling Act?
Just because you say “IT WILL” doesnt mean it will happen. Bermuda is poor, you have no money. STOP getting peoples hopes up.
Way to show up late Burch….shows a lot about you and how much you really care.
You know he did that on purpose don’t you, he really is a belligerent bad tempered guy
The plp need to be removed from Government and Investigated
After PLP coup-de-take over the City of Hamilton, the City roads, hedges, parks, traffic lights, sewage system etc. will be JUST like the rest of Bermuda under pot-holed, weed-infested, uncut-hedged, trashed, bus-cancelled, broken-bridged, over-spending, mold & rat infested, friends & family plan, Dr. Brown lead – PLP GOV’T!!
Unfortunately, the wife has made other plans for us this evening.
Will someone please ask Minister Roban for me if along with my vote he is also taking away my obligation to pay rates to the City of Hamilton?