Should Chaguanas be given city status?

[Sando prince]

Chaguanas mayor wants city status

By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE people of Chaguanas want the borough to be elevated to city status as soon as possible.
Yesterday, the borough celebrated its 21st anniversary with a huge military parade from Montrose Junction to the Chaguanas Borough Corporation.
Members of Parliament Dr Suruj Rambachan, Jack Warner, Stephen Cadiz and Ramona Ramdial attended the event.

Cadiz and Ramdial suggested that Chaguanas become the Central city.
Cadiz, who is the MP for Chaguanas East, said when he returns for the celebrations next year, he will not be coming to an administrative building but to a City Hall.

Chaguanas Mayor Orlando Nagessar fully agreed.
Speaking to the Express afterwards, Nagessar said: "To become a city you must have certain requirements. For example, there must be a fire station, police station, court house, library, cathedral, city hall and we have acquired all those facilities in the borough.
"We have over 100,000 in population with a strong business community and we are certain we can collect enough taxes to fix the city in its day-to-day activities."
The Mayor said the name of the newly-built Chaguanas Borough Administrative Building will be changed to Chaguanas City Hall when the title is given.

Nagessar said: "When you look at the two cities, Port of Spain and San Fernando, what they have there as a city, we have it here in Chaguanas. There is nothing that the cities have that they do not have in the Borough. We are one of the fastest expanding boroughs in the country."
He said during his inauguration as mayor, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar promised him that the next city in the country would be Chaguanas.
"We wait with anxiety and bated breath to see when this would become a reality," said Nagessar.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Chaguanas_mayor_wants_city_status-175178381.html

[Sando prince]

Talks on Chaguanas city status
First meeting Thursday

By \\\\\ Sue-Ann Wayow sue-ann.wayow@trinidadexpress.com

THE Chaguanas Borough Corporation will on Thursday host its first public consultation in its bid to become the country’s third city.
Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan said the consultation is entitled “From Borough to City”.
Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dr Bhoe Tewarie is expected to chair the meeting. Other Government ministers are  expected to attend, Boodhan said.

He said the meeting will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the corporation’s new administrative complex at the corner of Taitt and Cumberbatch Streets.
The mayor is encouraging organisations and groups especially to attend so their views could be shared.
Chaguanas became a borough in 1990. It was a minor town during the 1980s but expanded rapidly during that period.
Boodhan and his predecessor Orlando Nagessar both expressed their desire to see Chaguanas elevated to city status.

In 2012, Nagessar said: “To become a city you must have certain requirements. For example, there must be a fire station, police station, court house, library, cathedral, city hall and we have acquired all those facilities in the borough. We have over 100,000 in population with a strong business community and we are certain we can collect enough taxes to fix the city in its day-to-day activities.”
Nagessar said that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar had promised him that Chaguanas would be the country’s next city.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/business/Talks-on-Chaguanas-city-status-267095051.html

[Sando prince]

The PNM leader said he sees no reason why development should stop in Central if a PNM government enters office next year. Rowley said the PNM was working on its plan for progress, a “roadmap” on the way forward.

He reiterated part of this was the removal of the Local Government  Ministry. Rowley explained that funds will be distributed directly from the Finance Ministry to an executive body in the 14 regional corporations without the need for an intervening manager. He said it will be a format like what currently occurs in Tobago, where the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) manages its own affairs. Rowley said the Chaguanas Chamber will have a bigger role to play in this proposed plan.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Rowley-promises-to-lift--Chaguanas-to-city-status-265771971.html

[Sando prince]

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