Local government in the Bahamas: Difference between revisions

{{Politics of the Bahamas|}}

The '''Districts of the Bahamas''' are the first-tier administrative divisions of [[the Bahamas]]''';''' contrary to popular belief that the major island groupings are. Despite this, all islands except [[New Providence]] have regional capital cities as a means for all affairs carried out by any [[district]] located on that [[List of islands of the Bahamas|island]] to be regulated by the [[Central Government]].{{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}. Although in the past there have been many methods to decentralise government ( such as through the ''[[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996|Local Government Act 1996]]'' , which facilitated the creation of ''District Councils'' and [[Township|Town Comittees]] )all systems presented, though have largely been unsuccessful in providing a great deal of [[autonomy]]. {{Citation needed|date=November 2010}}.

 

[[The Commonwealth of the Bahamas]] has always had some form of [[Local Government]] since it's inception as a [[British Colony]]. Local Government has previously existed in the form of'[[board of directors|boards]]' that were appointed by the [[Central Government|Government]] and were known as the 'Board of Works'. Despite that most towns and settlements had a Board governing their affairs, most final decisions were still made by Central Government through a [[Commissioner]] who served as the [[Chairman]] of all “Board of Works”. True [[Local Government]] was finally established on [[1996|8^{<small>th</small>} March, 1996]] when that [[Government]] of the Bahamas led by [[Prime Minister]] [[Hubert Ingraham]] passed [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996]] and signed it into [[Law]]. This [[Act of Parliament]] facilitated the creation of District Councils and Town Areas whose affairs are handled by elected bodies at the local level, thus removing the outdated system of appointed Boards. Districts outlined by the [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996|Local Government Act]] are either Second Schedule Districts ( districts that are subdivided into Town Areas ) or Third Schedule Districts ( districts that are not subdivided into Town Areas ).<ref>[http://www.hopetowncouncil.com/?page_id=46 Retrieved-November-27]</ref>

 

==Districts of The Bahamas==

The '''Districts of the Bahamas''' provide a system of [[Local Government]] everywhere in [[The Bahamas]] except [[New Providence]] (where [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] the capital is located, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government). The current system dates from 1996 when 23 [[district]]s were "created" by [[The Bahamas Local Government Act of 1996|The Bahamas Local Government Act of]] [[1996]]{{ndash}} a further 9 have been added since 1999.<ref>http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/Parliamentary+Dept--Laws+and+Acts--Parliamentary+Laws+and+Acts!OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3</ref>

 

 

Every district in the Bahamas has a districts council.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, Section 10:1 Retrieved-November-27 </ref> A district council is a corporate body with perpetual succession; capable of entering into contracts, of suing and being sued, of acquiring, holdings, leasing and disposing of property of any description, and of doing all such things and entering into such transactions that are within the scope of the ''Local Government Act.''<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:2 Retrieved-November-27 </ref> A District Council consists of nine members ( or any other number of members that the Minister of Local Government may specify by order ). These District Councillors are elected by the population of that district in accordance with [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996|Local Government Act]].<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:4 Retrieved-November-27 </ref> Outlined by [[The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996]], Districts councillors shall within two weeks of their election, elect from among themselves a Chief Councillor.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11 Retrieved-November-27 </ref> The Chief Councillor shall be the representative of a Districts Council for all affairs. He or she is to preside over all meetings and also themselves co-ordinate these meetings.<ref>Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11:2 Retrieved-November-27 </ref>

 

This is the list of Chief Councillors of the various Districts of The Bahamas as of 2008-2011.

*Mr Christopher Farrington-[[Green Turtle Cay]]

 

Prior to 1996, the Bahamas were divided into 21 [[district]]s:

 

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