The Tribune

NORTH Andros Island Administrator Beverley Laramore said she is investigating after a receipt suggested the North Andros District Council was paid to clean up a beach after a party over the weekend.

According to the Local Government Act, councils cannot undertake revenue-generating schemes. They can only receive money from the central government.

Residents complained that garbage was not removed after a party on Cedar Beach over the weekend. The promoter addressed the complaints by disclosing a receipt that said: “$400 for cleaning Cedar Beach after beach party July 8, 2023.”

 Because the name on the receipt was “North Andros District Council”, some North Andros residents concluded the council violated the law.

 “No funds that I am aware of were paid to the council,” Ms Laramore said yesterday before The Tribune sent her a picture of the receipt. “The council do not collect funds, so I can’t speak to that because I am not aware of an invoice being collected. Now I am aware that there was someone asking to have an event and that he was supposed to pay for the clean-up and that funds were to be sent to the persons that were responsible for cleaning up but council was not responsible for cleaning up. In his letter that he would have been given, it would’ve stated that he had to make payment to the vendors who would be responsible for cleaning up before permission would be granted. Council oversaw the transaction but council themselves would not have collected that funds.”

 Pressed on why the receipt referred to the council, she said: “Let me see and I could track down who did that because it should not have been worded that way at all because no funds are paid to council.”