How is $6 Million in Constituency Funds Allocated?

Constituency Development Fund figures released under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request point to a voter‑based formula, but two divisions stand out with allocations above the standard, raising questions of fairness and transparency.

Based on the data provided, electoral divisions with 3,500 voters or fewer receive $10,000 per month. Those with between 3,501 and 7,000 voters receive $15,000, while divisions with more than 7,000 voters receive $20,000 monthly.

However, Orange Walk Central, represented by Prime Minister John Briceño, receives $25,000 each month. That constituency has 6,603 registered voters, according to figures on the Election and Boundaries website as of December 2025. Under the apparent formula, that constituency would normally fall into the $15,000 category. Belize Rural Central, represented by Dolores Balderamos Garcia, receives $23,333 monthly with 7,834 voters, exceeding the standard $20,000 allocation. 

Additionally, the constituencies represented by Miguel Guerra and Jose Mai both exceed the 7,000-voter threshold, yet each receives $15,000 monthly instead of the $20,000 suggested by the pattern.

These exceptions break the otherwise consistent formula. 

The discrepancies were identified by social activist Jerry Enriquez, who requested the information under the FOIA and was provided with a one-page document listing monthly allocations. “These are public funds… and we need to know how this is spent,” he said in an interview with News Five.

The figures also show noticeable differences in how much funding communities effectively receive per voter. Stann Creek West, the largest constituency with 10,922 voters, receives $20,000 monthly, which works out to less than $2 per voter. By comparison, Mesopotamia, with 2,346 voters, receives $10,000 monthly, or more than $4 per voter.

More than $6 million is distributed nationally each year through constituency development funds, yet no framework has been published explaining how amounts are set or why exceptions exist.