What to expect from SPTC’s third year in office

The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is rolling into the final year of its first term in office. In an interview with Mayor Gualberto’ Wally’ Nuñez, he shared some accomplishments and what island residents can expect during their third year before the 2024 municipal elections.
The Mayor said that his administration had worked hard since day one when they took over in March 2021. According to him, they found the town council in a precarious condition and had to start restructuring to salvage the administration. Nuñez said they have overcome a deficit and concentrate on projects such as street rehabilitation, beach nourishments, community programs to stimulate the local economy, and constructing a new bridge in the Boca del Rio area.

However, there is more to be done, and the Mayor discussed some projects they plan to tackle during 2023. He touched on the ongoing project to rehabilitate the beaches along the downtown area, improving the island’s tourism product when visitors see the beaches. Many tourists opt to head to Secret Beach for recreation, where the west coast beaches are not facing the issues of the eastern coastline erosion, sargassum, and trash.

The next plan on the agenda is to continue working on rehabilitating some of the streets in residential areas across San Pedro. According to Mayor Nuñez, they will continue addressing important street networks and open new roadways. According to him, some of the first areas to see this assistance include the subdivisions of San Mateo, San Juan, San Pedrito, DFC, and Marina Drive. The other subdivisions of the island will also see work in their areas. The Mayor said that the paved/concrete streets would also receive maintenance and pointed out that a portion of Coconut Drive would be closed for maintenance.
Paving of streets
The Mayor explained that the proposed paving of the nine miles beginning in the Marina area (south of town) is yet to be reviewed. “We have plans for some paving, but at the moment, we are gathering our finances together to see what can be done. We will plan this project in phases depending on what we can afford,” said Nuñez. The Mayor was unsure if the project could be done during the remainder of the year, but at least they can start working on it. “We can start and lay out our plan,” he said.
The SPTC also looks forward to hosting more interactive events. These include fairs such as market days to continue stimulating the island economy, clean-ups to keep the island trash-free, health fairs, and other events to further engage with the community.