This important gathering brought together Mayors, City and Town Administrators, Revenue Managers, Finance Directors, and Accountants from across the country to reflect on our collective financial performance, share best practices, and engage in forward-thinking dialogue on the future of local governance in Belize.

A meaningful moment in the session was the introduction of the newly appointed Minister of Local Government, Hon. Florencio Marin Jr., who reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, good governance, and stronger municipal systems.

Key highlights for Belize City emerging from this session included the following milestones from our performance over the past year:

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 – leading in the regular submission and public posting of Council meeting minutes.

𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭  – pioneering the use of 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 (𝐆𝐈𝐒) to support smarter city planning and service delivery.

𝐏𝐫𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 – maintaining the lowest emolument-to-revenue ratio

𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧  – standing out for developing and publishing a monthly newsletter, strengthening engagement with both residents and development partners.

Deputy Mayor Eluide Miller delivered the closing address on behalf of the Belize City Council, reaffirming our commitment to 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 as we continue building a more inclusive and resilient Belize City.

We thank the Department of Local Government for creating this space to 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰—𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.