Talks Begin on Ladyville and Lord’s Bank Becoming a Town

On Wednesday afternoon, members of the Ladyville and Lord’s Bank village councils met with government officials for a preliminary consultation on the possibility of township designation for their growing communities.

Area Representative Dolores Balderamos-Garcia said the meeting was not to promote or push an agenda but to begin exploring the idea with guidance from the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Local Government, and Community Development.

“I just requested that the minister and his technical people come for a preliminary consultation, and I have to tell you, it went very well,” she said. “We had about maybe 30 people present, and I’m very pleased.”

Balderamos-Garcia noted that Ladyville’s population has expanded significantly, stretching from Haulover Bridge up to Mile 13, including communities such as Vista del Mar, Mitchell Estate, Marage Road, and Los Lagos. As the population grows, she said, discussions around governance, infrastructure, and revenue collection are becoming increasingly important. “If we want to provide services for our community, we need to have some revenue or some resources.”

Senior ministry officers Clifford King and Nacio Acosta outlined the potential benefits of township status, including modest property taxes to support local services such as street maintenance, drainage, parks, and community development.  “We would be able to address the streets. The drains, the developmental issues, the parks, the playgrounds and looking at businesses to see how we can make our community look better,” Balderamos-Garcia explained.

She further reiterated that no decisions have been made and that broader consultations will follow. “This is just the beginning of something,” she said. “We intend to consult very widely and want people to have their say.”