Change both corporations to Quangos

I don’t understand why Gov’t needs to do this as they have total authority over the municipalities presently. All resolutions are approved by the minister and there’s nothing that can be done without his approval. The Corporations are working very well presently in the best interest of the communities and should be left to do their work without any political affiliation or interference.

Given the amount of irons the Government has in the fire, I have absolutely no confidence that an already stretched administration will be able to give either Corporation the attention that both are due. Having some separation from Government (particularly Politics), can only be a good thing! Further to the above, where would Government be getting the money to fund all of their ambitious plans? Suspect that "we the people" will be expected to contribute an ever-increasing amount into the proverbial pot that some appear to believe is bottomless.

No government oversight just respect both entities as they are.

Leave the corporations as they are! They operate very efficiently, if government takes over it would be detrimental to the rate payers and the over upkeep of the cities.

I strongly oppose this, there is no need for the Government to oversee the Corporations, the Corporations already do a great job. If the Government would like to give input, instead they should work on making their current relationships with the Corporations stronger and work with them as they are now. Too much intervention from the Government would cause the current infrastructures of the City & Town to crumble.

There is nothing that is done more efficiently and effectively by the central govt than by the corporations. In both cases, the corporations are far more responsive to the needs of their ratepayers than the central govt or a Quango could ever be. In the case of St.George, the simple fact is that when compared to the central government the corporation works miracles, doing twice as much with half the effort. The thing getting in the way most of the time is that the central govt has too much control. This is particularly true in St.George where the Corporation has to go hat-in-hand for almost every dollar it needs to spend. The Corporation needs financial independence and predictability; it needs to be given the authority to raise revenues directly by taxes and fees and it needs to have central funds in assured amounts granted for needs outside the day-to-day operation of the town and those for which it is responsible but which are actually to the benefit of the Island as a whole ( Tourism-related initiatives, World Heritage support, a proper Ferry service, a Police station in the town, a golf course, a joint sewage and water system with St.Regis, Port and cut dredging, etc., etc.) . Looking forward, the potential for St.George is more tourism related than anywhere else in Bermuda. The west-end relies more heavily on tourism revenue but is much less about welcoming visitors to our home than it is about providing them with a fabricated entertainment venue while they are ashore for 6 or 8 hours a day. To realise it's potential, St.George needs to have a much stronger presence within the BTA. The BTA board needs to impose a management structure on the BTA which creates and empowers a separate St.George/East End focused group which has responsibility for a consultation role on all BTA projects. Their remit would be to understand the project and then to advise on those ways in which the project can better extend it's effect to the East End. This would address the singular failure of the BTA to effectively address what is a very unique area of the island with unique value to offer visitors which is currently being lost. To accelerate tourism development in St.George, the single most effective project would be to go out and secure a 1500-2000 passenger Cruise Ship, run by an independent line or operator on a 15 to 25 trip/yr itinerary from Boston, New York or Baltimore (or all 3) with a 4 1/2 day "Resident" stay in the town. One only needs to look back at the economic boost this kind of ship provided in the 1980-2010 period to see that it is the closest thing to a magic bullet we could ever find. The BTA may have to get outside it's comfort zone to do this. Engaging with an operator to execute the project using a chartered ship or making revenue guarantees or other risk-sharing or providing marketing or providing for special shore-side activities and programs might all be part of the mix. Nothing would raise the level of activity in the town and at the various venues and businesses and fill the empty shopfronts as quickly. One way or another, helping the corporations is a far better way to go than trying to control them.

Government should be available to give advice when necessary, but otherwise they should leave the Corporations alone. Our Government has plenty to occupy itself with. If more people were encouraged to live here then the economy would surely improve and businesses would thrive, since every household supports many, many jobs. The housing market, always a weather vane of the economy, might improve, too. I do approve of being asked to vote and comment; I just wonder if the results are noted!

I am totally against the Government efforts to either dissolve the Corporation or make it into a Quango. The Government has enough on their political agenda that they can not get right and are far from getting it right. They need to focus on the issues that really require their attention and stop trying to fix things that are not broken. Should the Government absorb the Corporation what happens to the persons that are employed at the Corporation. Keeping in mind that many of the positions at the Corporation are existing positions within the Government; so, Government what do you propose to do with these people. Will they become a Government statistic and be labelled as “unemployed”? Interesting when part of your initial election platform was to create jobs for the people of Bermuda. Doing this will lead to the total opposition of the platform. Government needs to focus on the things that really require your attention; starting with the education system, were the students have not received a report card for the year and it is now February. That is one issue out of so many. The takeover is more of a financial gain. The Corporation may have it and we know Government does not have it. This decision is solely for the Government’s financial gain not for the betterment of the country. Government focus on the things that really needs your attention and leave the Corporation to do their jobs. A job that they do far better than you.

Leave both Corporations as they are.

I am skeptical about this initiative as it appears to be more about money than trying to collaborate with the Municipalities. The Government has had control of the "final say" for some time concerning the municipalities. Why does it need to change according to the initiatives that government is outlining if they already approve any important decisions. For years now the government has been accumulating debt and not clearing any of it. They also have an abundance of derelict buildings that they do not use, how are they saying that the Corporation's have crumbling infrastructures but are not in any debt it taking care of those infrastructures. I am not saying that the municipalities are perfect but I don't believe that either Government has proven they are capable of taking care of the municipalities up to this point.