Belize City Councillors Want a Stipend Increase 

Requests for salary increases from town and city councils, including Belize City, are under review but will not take priority over public services, says Minister Oscar Requena.

Requena, the Minister of Rural Transformation and Local Government, confirmed that discussions are taking place but said no formal proposal from Belize City Council has been submitted to him.

“I am aware of the request. I have not seen it,” he said. “Certainly we are going to review it. There is going to be discussion on this matter.”

In an August 26, 2024 council meeting minutes, Deputy Mayor Allan Pollard proposed a pension scheme for councillors who have served two or more terms. He argued that modern municipal leadership has become a full-time, demanding role. Pollard also suggested that, even without a pension, stipend increases should be considered to attract qualified professionals to municipal office.

When asked about whether salaries for mayors and councillors are fixed nationwide, Requena said that any consideration of increased pay must come after municipalities meet their obligations to residents. He added that salaries “varies from municipality to municipality, and of course a lot of it has to do with the available finances of these municipalities.”