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Local government in the Bahamas

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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 island to be regulated by the Central Government.[citation needed]. Although in the past there have been many methods to decentralise government ( such as through the Local Government Act 1996 , which facilitated the creation of District Councils and Town Comittees )all systems presented, though have largely been unsuccessful in providing a great deal of autonomy. [citation needed].

History

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'boards' that were appointed by the 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 8th 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of District Councils and Town Areas whose affairs are handled by elected bodies at the local level, thus removing the outdated system of appointed Boards.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 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 ).[1]


Districts of The Bahamas

The Districts of the Bahamas provide a system of Local Government everywhere in The Bahamas except New Providence (where Nassau the capital is located, whose affairs are handled directly by the central government). The current system dates from 1996 when 23 districts were "created" by The Bahamas Local Government Act of 1996– a further 9 have been added since 1999.[2]

Local Government in The Bahamas has seen great success since its introduction, but there has been concern over the case of New Providence and whether or not it should have local government.

District Island Largest Town and Cities
Acklins Acklins and Crooked Islands Spring Point, Lovely Bay
Berry Islands Berry Islands Bullocks Harbour, Chub Cay
Bimini Bimini Alice Town, Louis Town
Black Point Exuma Black Point
Cat Island Cat Island Arthur's Town, Port Howe
Central Abaco Abaco Marsh Harbour, Spring City
Central Andros Andros Cargill Creek, Behring Point
Central Eleuthera Eleuthera Governor's Harbour
City of Freeport Grand Bahama Freeport Lucaya
Crooked Island Acklins and Crooked Islands Colonel Hill
East Grand Bahama Grand Bahama Pelican Point, Maclean's Town
Exuma Exuma George Town, Rolleville
Grand Cay Grand Cay Grand Cay City
Green Turtle Cay Green Turtle Cay New Plymouth
Harbour Island Eleuthera Dunmore Town
Hope Town Abaco Cays Hope Town, Man-o-War Cay
Inagua Inagua Islands Matthew Town
Long Island Long Island Clearance Town
Mangrove Cay Andros Moxey Town, Lisbon Creek
Mayaguana Mayaguana Abraham's Bay
Moore's Island Abaco Islands Hard Bargin, The Bight
North Abaco Abaco Island Coopers Town, Crown Haven
North Andros Andros Island Nicholl's Town, Morgan's Bluff
North Eleuthera Eleuthera Upper Bouge, Lower Bouge, Current
Ragged Island Ragged island Chain Duncan Town
Rum Cay Rum Cay Port Nelson
San Salvador San Salvador Island Cockburn Town, United Estates
South Abaco Abaco Islands Sandy Point, Crossing Rocks
South Andros Andros Island Congo Town, Mars Bay
South Eleuthera Eleuthera Tarpum Bay
Spanish Wells Russel Island Spanish Wells
West Grand Bahama Grand Bahama Island West End, Eight Mile Rock

Map of Districts

 
Map of The Bahamas with the districts numbered

District Councils

Every district in the Bahamas has a districts council.[3] 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.[4] 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 Local Government Act.[5] Outlined by The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Districts councillors shall within two weeks of their election, elect from among themselves a Chief Councillor.[6] 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.[7]

Town Areas

Town Areas or Townships are the second tier administrative divisions after districts.[8] Each Town Area has a town committee, which is a corporate body with perpetual succession and a common seal that is capable of entering into contracts, of suing and being sued, of acquiring, holding, leasing and disposing of property of any description and of doing all such things and entering into such transactions that are inclusive of The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996.[9] Like District Councils, members of a Town Committee are elected directly by the population of that Town Area.[10] Each Town Committee is headed by a Chairman, who is elected from among the Town Committee members by the Town Committee members.[11]

List of Chief Councillors

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

Districts prior to 2006

Prior to 1996, the Bahamas were divided into 21 districts:

Major Islands

Reference map for the Islands of the Bahamas[12]
Islands of the Bahamas[13]
Crest Island's name Capital (or largest settlement) Population Area (km²)
File:Badge of Acklins.jpg Acklins Spring Point[14] 560 492
File:Badge of Abaco.gif Abaco Marsh Harbour[15] 16,692 1,681
File:Badge of Andros.jpg Andros Andros Town 7,386 5,957
File:Badge of the Berry Islands.jpg the Berry Islands Nicholls Town 798 31
File:Crest of Bimini.gif Bimini Alice Town[16] 2,008 23
File:Badge of Cat Island.gif Cat Island Arthur's Town[17] 1,503 23
File:Badge of Acklins.jpg Crooked Island Colonel Hill[18] 323 241
File:Eleuthera Island Crest.jpg Eleuthera Governor's Harbour[19] 9,363 518
File:Crest of Grand Bahama.gif Grand Bahama Freeport City[20] 51,756 1,373
File:Badge of Inagua.jpg Inagua Matthew Town[21] 911 1,679
Long Island Clarence Town[22] 3,024 596
File:MayaguanaCrest.gif Mayaguana Abraham's Bay[23] 271 285
File:Badge of New Providence.gif New Providence n/a[24]
de facto: Nassau
248,948 207
File:Crest of Ragged Island.gif Ragged Duncan Town[25] 70 36
File:Crest of Rum Cay.gif Rum Cay Port Nelson 99 78
File:Crest of San Slavador.gif San Salvador Cockburn Town[26] 930 163
File:Coat of arms of Bahamas.png   The Bahamas Nassau 353,658[27] 13,943

References

  1. ^ Retrieved-November-27
  2. ^ http://www.bahamas.gov.bs/bahamasweb2/home.nsf/vContentW/Parliamentary+Dept--Laws+and+Acts--Parliamentary+Laws+and+Acts!OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3
  3. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, Section 10:1 Retrieved-November-27
  4. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:2 Retrieved-November-27
  5. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:4 Retrieved-November-27
  6. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11 Retrieved-November-27
  7. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11:2 Retrieved-November-27
  8. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act, Part III,5:1
  9. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part III, 6:2
  10. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part III, 6:3
  11. ^ Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part III, 8:2
  12. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  13. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  14. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  15. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  16. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  17. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  18. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  19. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  20. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  21. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  22. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  23. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  24. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  25. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  26. ^ Retrieved-November-25
  27. ^ Retrieved-November-25

See also

Template:Articles on first-level administrative divisions of North American countries