Community Policy Issues in Orange Walk Town, Belize: Volume 2: Policy Analyses

Community Policy Issues in Orange Walk Town, Belize: Volume 2: Policy Analyses Malaspina Geography Field Project Team 2007 Community Policy Issues in Orange Walk Town: A Compendium of Policy Analyses Malaspina Geography Field Project Team 2007 Edited by Larry Wolfe, PhD Prepared for Town Council Orange Walk Town, Belize September 2007 PREFACE In May and June of 2007, the Geography Department of Malaspina University College coordinated a five-week field project in Orange Walk Town in Belize, population 18,000. The purpose of the field project was to gather community-planning information for the town, and develop policy suggestions for consideration of the Town Council. The project involved 19 university students from Geography and other social science departments. The project leader was Dr. Larry Wolfe from Malaspina Geography, with the assistance of Pam Shaw (Geography) and Dr. Victoria Macfarlane (Psychology). The field school was an opportunity for students to earn university credits while gaining valuable real-world experience outside of Canada. The idea for the project arose from Dr. Wolfe’s previous work in Belize, where he and Dr. Macfarlane (his spouse) taught at the University of Belize and subsequently worked as consultants. A needs assessment for community planning in Belize was conducted by Malaspina Global Studies student Samantha Letourneau in 2006, under Wolfe’s supervision, and she identified Orange Walk Town as a community that might be willing to host the field project. The Orange Walk Town Council extended a gracious welcome. While in Orange Walk, the project team gathered field data on community planning issues and interviewed numerous residents and government officials. This provided extensive information for planning and seeded the ideas for policies for improving the future life of Walkeños. After return to Canada, the students conducted a review of the published literature on the policy issues they were studying. These literature reviews are the subject of this volume. In addition, they prepared policy analyses with recommendations for consideration of the town and its council. These recommendations are the responsibility of the student team, and have not been endorsed by the Town Council or Malaspina. However, they provide ideas for Orange Walk’s future planning. In addition to time in Orange Walk, the team also spent a week in Indian Church Village near the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve. In Indian Church, they took on various volunteer projects such as repairing the community library, conducting a census, and repainting the entrance sign. They also volunteered at the Lamanai site, and learned about the archaeology, ecosystems, and cultures of the region. On their visit, the team also spent a few days at the Community Baboon Sanctuary in Bermudian Landing, Belmopan, and Caye Caulker. The team wishes to acknowledge and thank the Town Council of Orange Walk for their wonderful generosity and support for this project. It also wishes to thank the Hotel de la Fuente for their hospitality for the many days and nights of our stay. We also wish to thank all Orange Walkeños for their welcoming spirit and the patience they showed to the team as we learned about this wonderful town. As visitors to Orange Walk, the team was delighted by its stay in the town. We believe it is one of Belize’s many beautiful treasures. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ......................................................................................................................................................................ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ..............................................................................................................................................iii INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................................................................1 Orange Walk Town....................................................................................................................................................1 The Project.................................................................................................................................................................1 The Team..............................................................................................................................................................................2 Organization of Report ..............................................................................................................................................4 LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE ........................................................................................................................5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................5 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................................................5 METHODOLOGY AND LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................6 BACKGROUND ..................................................................................................................................................................6 ISSUE IDENTIFICATION .......................................................................................................................................7 Orange Walk Town Council Budget 2007-2008...................................................................................................................7 Immediate Concerns .............................................................................................................................................................7 Orange Walk Initiatives ........................................................................................................................................................8 Obstacles and Barriers to Revenue and Funding...................................................................................................................9 Stakeholders..........................................................................................................................................................................9 OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................................9 Simple Structural Change Options........................................................................................................................................9 Significant Structural Options.............................................................................................................................................10 Available Taxation Opportunities .......................................................................................................................................11 Fees and Permits .................................................................................................................................................................11 Cost-Saving Methods..........................................................................................................................................................11 Public-Private Partnerships.................................................................................................................................................12 Fundraising Options............................................................................................................................................................12 Specific Project Funding.....................................................................................................................................................12 ANALYZING OPTIONS........................................................................................................................................13 Criteria for Analysing Options............................................................................................................................................13 Option Analysis Tables.......................................................................................................................................................14 Analysis and Recommendations .........................................................................................................................................16 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ..................................................................................................................................18 EVALUATION .......................................................................................................................................................20 REFERENCES CITED............................................................................................................................................21 SOCIAL CAPITAL, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, AND CRIME .................................................................23 ISSUE IDENTIFICATION .....................................................................................................................................23 Background.........................................................................................................................................................................23 Issue

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