A coalition of eight leaders from People’s National Movement (PNM)-controlled municipal corporations gathered at Port of Spain’s City Hall on Wednesday to voice vehement opposition to the newly unveiled 2027 national budget, arguing that discriminatory, deep funding cuts have crippled their ability to deliver core services to local residents. The joint press conference, hosted by Port of Spain Mayor Chinua Alleyne, comes as the PNM-led local governing bodies decry unfair budget allocation for the second consecutive year, with leaders framing the cuts as a politically motivated attack on constituents living in opposition-held districts.
Point Fortin Mayor Clyde James opened the discussion by laying out the stark disparities in this year’s allocation: all PNM-governed corporations combined received just TT$31.6 million in total development funding, a sum smaller than the TT$37 million allocated solely to the United National Congress (UNC)-controlled City of Chaguanas. The disproportionate gap has reinforced claims that the national UNC administration is deliberately sidelining opposition-led local governments ahead of upcoming local government elections.
Alleyne, who led the protest at City Hall, detailed the devastating trajectory of cuts to Port of Spain’s development budget over just two years, revealing an 87% overall reduction that has left the national capital unable to advance critical planned projects. The capital’s development allocation fell from TT$19.75 million in the 2025 fiscal year to TT$4.1 million in 2026, and dropped again to just TT$2.6 million for 2027. Alleyne emphasized that the meager allocation will derail critical drainage upgrades, delay planned improvements to public facilities, and leave the corporation unable to settle outstanding payments to contracted vendors.
He noted that as the country’s administrative, commercial, and political hub, Port of Spain serves more than 200,000 daily commuters who travel into the city for work and business, placing far greater strain on its roads, waste management systems, and recreational infrastructure than residential districts alone. Against this, the 2027 allocation amounts to just 1.2% of the total national development budget for local government, a figure Alleyne called indefensible.
Comparing the current budget to the PNM’s own decade in national power, Alleyne said that during PNM administrations, funding allocations were deliberately balanced across all local corporations, with roughly 50% of total funding going to both PNM and UNC-controlled districts, even in periods of divided government. No opposition-led corporation ever faced the extreme underfunding PNM-led bodies are grappling with today, he added. When asked about next steps to challenge the allocation, Alleyne confirmed he plans to join a mass march with trade unions scheduled for October 30 to push for funding adjustments.
Diego Martin Mayor Akeliah Glasgow-Warner doubled down on the accusation of political retribution, arguing that the UNC is waging a direct war against ordinary residents of PNM-held districts, not just the opposition party itself. “The UNC is not simply waging a war against PNM-controlled corporations. They are waging a war against the people of Trinidad and Tobago who happen to live in PNM-controlled corporations,” she said. She highlighted that Diego Martin, a borough chronically prone to flooding, received only TT$400,000 total for all drainage projects, translating to just TT$40,000 per district—far less than the average TT$175,000 cost to build a single small drain. Glasgow-Warner also called on Kenwyn Phillip, chairman of the only UNC-led corporation that faced minor cuts, Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, to publicly question the government’s funding decisions, noting the cut suggests the UNC already expects to lose the district to the PNM in upcoming elections.
San Fernando Mayor Robert Parris raised urgent concerns over outstanding payments to contractors, revealing his corporation owes more than TT$8.8 million for completed work dating back to 2025: TT$1.42 million for 2025 projects and more than TT$7.45 million for 2026 work. While Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has formally committed to settling the outstanding debts, Parris questioned how the corporation can meet its obligations with its drastically reduced 2027 allocation, warning that unpaid contractors could soon pursue costly legal action against the municipal government. He also noted that funding for vehicle and equipment replacement fell from TT$800,000 in the last fiscal year to just TT$160,000, an amount too small to replace any of the corporation’s already depleted service fleet, further undermining the delivery of municipal services.
Closing out the press conference, San Juan/Laventille chairman Richard Walcott labeled the current UNC administration a “wicked government”, criticizing cuts to recreation funding that will eliminate all capacity to upgrade local recreational facilities after existing commitments are fulfilled, stripping young people of opportunities to access improved public spaces.