Municipal Boundaries Realigned for the First Time in Decades; San Pedro Town Now Encompasses the Entire Island of Ambergris Caye

The Government of Belize has officially declared updated boundaries for the nation’s seven towns and two cities, following a long-awaited delineation exercise conducted by the Ministry of Local Government. Effective April 1st, the new boundaries have been gazetted, marking the first municipal realignment in decades. A significant outcome of the redistricting is that San Pedro Town now officially encompasses the entire island of Ambergris Caye. Previously, the town’s jurisdiction was limited to a smaller, urbanized area. Other municipalities impacted by the change include the towns of Corozal, Orange Walk, Benque Viejo del Carmen, San Ignacio/Santa Elena, Dangriga, and Punta Gorda, as well as Belize City and Belmopan.
The newly extended boundaries of San Pedro present both opportunities and challenges. The centralized urban area of the island is relatively small compared to the entire island, which stretches 25 miles from north to south. A representative from the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) noted that this expansion could generate additional income for the administration, allowing it to carry out new responsibilities in these newly added areas. However, the local government will need to increase its resources to provide essential services to these more remote locations on the island. This may require additional personnel, particularly in the sanitation department. On the positive side, the expansion will grant the town council formal jurisdiction over the approval of projects, which previously required clearances from the central government.
The increased demand for services is expected to coincide with ongoing development efforts under the Strategic Plan unveiled on the island on May 7th. The plan, spearheaded by Prime Minister Honorable Dr. John Briceño in collaboration with various stakeholders, aims to ease the transition by providing a framework for long-term, sustainable development. Supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Strategic Plan will focus on investments in vulnerable communities such as San Mateo. It will explore public-private partnerships for infrastructure projects outside the downtown core. Envisioned as a 20-year roadmap, the plan will consider urban growth trends, climate vulnerability, and the island’s carrying capacity.
The move to redefine municipal boundaries stems from a Cabinet resolution in July 2021, which revived the Municipal Boundaries Re-Delineation Exercise originally initiated in 2012. According to the Ministry of Local Government, the updated boundaries were finalized in the last quarter of the previous fiscal year, following extensive consultations with town councils, village councils, area representatives, and members of the public.
Last year, Clifford King, the Director for Local Government, spoke about the purpose of this development. He explained that the main goal is to align the goods and services that municipalities provide to their residents. In some areas of the country, there are locations outside the jurisdiction of town or city councils that still receive these services. To address this, these areas have now been incorporated within the boundaries of the municipalities. Notably, King emphasized that the new boundaries do not encroach on existing village jurisdictions.
The prior municipal boundaries were last set in the 1980s and 1990s. Updated jurisdictional maps and official declarations are available through the Government Gazette, local town councils, or the Department of Local Government.