Corozal Town Council Engages Central Government in Annual Budget Consultations

The Corozal Town Council met on Wednesday with Director of Local Government Clifford King and officials from the Ministry of Local Government as part of the annual municipal budget consultation process.  The exercise mirrors a similar meeting held last week in Belize City, where councillors reviewed financial performance, revenue collections and spending patterns ahead of the upcoming fiscal year. The consultations are conducted each year with municipalities across the country to assess financial health and determine priorities before budgets are finalized.  During the Corozal session, council representatives and central government officials examined income and expenditure trends, ongoing obligations and planned projects for the 2026–2027 financial year. The discussions also looked at service delivery demands and the challenges municipal governments face in balancing community expectations with available revenue.  Mayor Rigo Vellos says the meeting provides an important opportunity for transparency and coordination between local and central government, ensuring that realistic plans are put in place for the coming year.

Rigo Vellos, Mayor of Corozal Town: “Today we had a budget presentation that we did to local government, which is done every year around this time closer to the end of the fiscal year. So we did present a budget today. Actually, you know, you won’t have a good business if you don’t have proper financial management. And I can assure that the work of administrator has ensured that he concentrates a lot on the financial management and hence the reason why we are seeing pavings and different projects happening here at Corozal. When it comes to the wages, that is something I cannot mention because it has to be discussed during a council meeting and has to be approved by local government also. So it’s not something that is going through my mind, it’s more about making sure that we do projects and we do work. That’s my priority of course and that’s what people voted for us to be able to do work for our people.” 

The budget consultations form part of the Ministry’s broader effort to strengthen municipal governance by encouraging responsible planning and ensuring councils align their spending with projected income before final approval of their annual budgets.