Published: December 17, 2024
PAYNESVILLE — The Mayor of Paynesville City Corporation (PCC), Robert Bestman, has identified low budgetary allocations from the national government, along with a lack of equipment and logistical support, as major challenges hindering the corporation’s operations.
Delivering his annual message to the citizens of Paynesville on Sunday, December 15, 2024, Mayor Bestman called on the Paynesville Legislative Caucus, headed by District #4 Representative Michael Thomas, to vigorously lobby for an increase in the budget for the largest municipality in the country.
According to the PCC Mayor, the city, with over 700,000 inhabitants, currently operates with only five trucks, a few tricycles, and one front-end loader. He also disclosed that the workforce remains far below the required capacity to keep the city consistently clean.
“Our city is in dire financial need. However, we are pleased that the chairman of our legislative caucus now serves as the Co-chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. We hope that the honorable Chairman will see the urgent need for intervention. As you know, District #4 comprises a significant portion of the city, and development plans and budgeting are based on population. We are optimistic that this budget year will be the best yet for the City of Paynesville,” Mayor Bestman asserted.
Despite the challenges, Mayor Bestman highlighted numerous achievements of the PCC in 2024. He noted the successful cleaning of massive garbage stockpiles at key locations, including the Gbochop Market, LBS Market, Hage Store, FDA Junction, ELWA Corridor, Jacob Town Field, Watch Tower, and Police Academy.
He made specific reference to the removal of the persistent garbage buildup in Central Red Light, particularly along the main streets, which had consistently caused traffic congestion and impeded pedestrian movement. Mayor Bestman stated that this issue has been addressed through the establishment of a designated holding center for waste disposal.
“In our first year, our administration successfully oversaw the construction of a two-story office complex featuring 12 offices—seven on the ground floor and five upstairs—a conference room, and an annex cafeteria to address the longstanding office congestion challenge at the corporation. This milestone was achieved despite the limited budgetary support from the national government,” he emphasized.
In advancing developmental partnerships, Mayor Bestman announced the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Township of Johnsonville to jointly promote community development and with the Metropolitan City of Seoul.
He also cited partnerships with the Orange Foundation for the planting of trees along the ELWA route, aimed at enhancing the city’s eco-friendly status and contributing to environmental impact mitigation. Additionally, Mayor Bestman mentioned an agreement with the SMART transportation corporation, Uni-Network, for innovative public transportation projects to improve access to services and job opportunities for residents.
“These projects are aimed at improving our public transportation system to better serve our residents and create more opportunities for economic advancement,” he explained.
Looking ahead to 2025, Mayor Bestman outlined strategic plans, including the implementation of a Digitized Public Transportation Project across the city, a Modern Environmentally Friendly Toilet Project, and a Drug and Substance Abuse Project. He emphasized that the latter will include the establishment of a modern rehabilitation center to support the full recovery of socially disadvantaged youth across the city.
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