Liberia: Paynesville City Mayor-Designate Appeals for Increased Budgetary Allotment

The Paynesville City Mayor-Designate, Robert S. Bestman, II, has made a passionate appeal for an increased budgetary allotment for the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC) in the upcoming national budget. Paynesville City, the municipality with the highest number of electoral districts in the country (5 in total, from District #2 to District #6), faces significant responsibilities and challenges requiring adequate resources.

Bestman emphasized before the Liberian Senate Committee on Internal Affairs during his confirmation hearing on Wednesday, March 6, that the current budget of the PCC, which oversees the activities of the largest city both in size and population, is insufficient to meet the demands of the growing population in Paynesville.

He highlighted the disparity in budget allocation between Paynesville and Monrovia, noting the larger population in Paynesville warrants a greater share of development resources. In outlining his administration's priorities, Mayor-designate Bestman emphasized key areas such as ensuring clean water, sanitation, and public safety.

“Paynesville is the largest and most populated city in Liberia and its budget is meager as compared to other cities in the country, especially Monrovia,” Bestman told the Senate’s Committee, chaired by Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson. 

According to the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) census conducted in 2023, Paynesville has a population of over 700,000 residents, while Monrovia, the Capital, has over 150,000 inhabitants.

“In Planning and Budgeting, we do budgeting for people, so if we have more people in Paynesville, we should be directing most of our development resources to Paynesville, Mayor Designate Bestman noted.”

In the draft budget 2024, which was returned to the Executive for adjustment, the Paynesville City Corporation has US$481,000, which Bestman noted is insufficient for employees’ compensation.

Meanwhile, Mayor Designate Bestman has outlined seven priority areas his administration will consider when confirmed by the Senate and subsequently appointed by President Boakai.

He also underscored the importance of supporting vulnerable groups, promoting economic growth, fostering inclusivity, improving government efficiency, and utilizing technology for innovation in creating a city that meets the needs of its residents.

Getting the basics

Ensure there is clean water and a sanitary environment to live and play; give residents power back and create and maintain public spaces for all to enjoy.

Safety is non-negotiable: we will crave it. It is important to have a quality life and strong economic growth, and we will achieve this through dedicated partnerships, technology, and investment in our safety and emergency services. We will be tough on crime, tougher on the causes of crimes.

A society can be judged on how it takes care of its most vulnerable, such as the elderly, children, women, and persons with disabilities. We will make sure that there will be improved healthcare, drug recovery process programs, support for the homeless, food security programs, and dignified old age homes to adopt a holistic approach to keeping communities in good health.

A business-friendly city

Government must do everything possible to create an environment for economic growth so that entrepreneurs and businesses can invest and create the jobs that will continue to make Paynesville, the city of opportunities. Bring jobs and investment to the local economy.

We need to make every corner of Paynesville a place where residents have all the amenities they need to live a quality life with access to housing and job opportunities.

Paynesville must become a center of clean, honest government that puts residents first, spends money wisely, and is a pleasure to deal with. We must improve customer service and providing customers with services that meet their individual needs and circumstances must be prioritized.

A truly successful city makes the most of the talent and innovation available — we need to maximize our use of technology to empower residents and find solutions to our most pressing challenges.