User:Bernard Wagner/sandbox

Joseph Bernard Wagner
Joseph Bernard Wagner Jr. (born July 3, 1966) is a Belizean politician and entrepreneur who has been serving as the Mayor of Belize City since March of 2018. A financier by vocation and profession, Wagner has satisfied Managerial and Executive posts in several financial institutions of Belize including Atlantic Bank Ltd and Belize Bank Limited at various locations across the country. In 2016, Wagner opened JBW Finance Co. Ltd, a company specializing in providing financial support and micro loans for entrepreneurs, micro and medium business owners, etc. Wagner who is known more affectionately as Bernard, was born in Belize City, Belize and raised on Neal’s Penn Road in the Southside area of the city among seven other siblings. After graduating from St. John’s College Junior College and Belize Technical College (now the University of Belize) Wagner joined the banking industry, working his way up the ranks from a teller to a Branch Supervisor and acquiring over 30 years of experience in the process. Turning to elective politics, Wagner led his team, the PUP 11 consisting of himself as Mayoral Candidate and ten Councilors to victory at the Municipal Elections over the incumbent United Democratic Party (UDP) on March 7, 2018. Prior to their victory, the United Democratic Party held Belize City’s Municipal Office for twelve years (4 full terms).

Early Life and Education
Wagner was born on July 3, 1966 to Belizean parents, father and cabinet maker/music composer, Joseph Bernard Wagner Sr. and mother, Leonora Wade. Wagner grew up under very humble circumstances sharing a dwelling with a family of ten being sustained by a meager income. Reflecting upon his childhood, Wagner said that it was during this early stage of his life that he learned the value of hard work and dedication to one’s goals. Wagner was enrolled in Queen Square Anglican School where he received his primary education from 1971-1979 where he exhibited strong academic standings. During his final year in elementary school he sat the Common Entrance Exam (now Primary School Examinations or PSE) and received an above average score which allowed him the opportunity to enroll in any secondary school in the country. Initially, it was the Mayor’s intent to attend St. John’s College High school, however he later opted to enroll in St. Michael’s College due to its closer proximity to his home. He would attend St. Michael’s from 1979-1983 and thereafter graduate with his High School Diploma. Upon completing his secondary education, Wagner delved into the field of Engineering for two years while he studied at Belize Technical College. After completing his studies, Wagner was faced with a sobering reality of job scarcity and took the first job he could find as a teller. While his studies do not denote it, Wagner claims he had always held bankers in high regard and his first job further piqued his interest in the profession. As a result, he enrolled in night classes at St. John’s College Junior College and obtained an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration while maintaining his full-time job. Further, after receiving his Associate’s Degree, Mayor Wagner enrolled in an online program offered by the University of the West Indies (UWI) to obtain another degree in Banking and Finance. While working as a young professional and a student, Bernard took up an interest in philanthropy and combined it with his love of basketball to connect with his community and peers. Throughout his early

to middle-aged years he held various roles in multiple sporting clubs and initiatives including: President of the Belize District Basketball Association (hosting roughly 18 Senior members and 14 Junior members), President of the Belize Basketball Federation, President of the Belize Semi-Pro League, Founder/Owner of the Inter-Office Basketball League, Founder of the “Mini Basketball League” and Founder of the Belize Bank Bulldogs Basketball Club. Through these social and athletic fraternities Bernard became well known throughout his city which aided in gaining him notoriety as a Mayoral candidate. Banking & Financial Career Bernard Wagner joined the banking industry at the age of _18__ working as a teller at Atlantic Bank Limited and after six years, furthered his career at the Belize Bank Limited. During his tenure Wagner moved up the chain of command from a Teller, to a Teller Supervisor, an Airport Branch Supervisor as well as a Branch Manager at the Dangriga and San Ignacio Branches respectively) and later a Branch Manager at the Belize Bank Market Square (largest Belize Bank Branch in the country). His time in the financial industry also equipped him with professional trainings and skill building exercises in several elements of effective risk management, the Basel Accord, liquidity, loans, etc. As time progressed, Bernard Wagner set his sights on retirement from the banking world at the age of fifty and decided to pursue entrepreneurship. In 2016 he opened JBW Finance Co. Ltd. which specializes in providing financial support and micro loans for entrepreneurs, micro and medium business owners. Since its conception, the company has seen positive growth.

Mayoral Career
On March 7th, 2018 Belize held its Municipal Elections resulting in Wagner’s victory over Belize City Mayoral Candidates Dion Leslie, Paco Smith and Eustaquio “Ernesto” Torres with the PUP securing all 11 seats. Under new leadership, the Belize City Council thus far has been able to fulfill over 90% of their manifesto within the first two years of their tenure. Thanks to his background in finance and business management, Wagner was able to introduce new policies and practices which resulted in several financial improvements for the Municipality. These include the reduction of financial wastage within the City Council by reducing expenditures by over $700k, while increasing the collection ratio on property taxes and trade and liquor licenses fees from 60% to 75% within the first two years of his term. Wagner also spearheaded the drafting and introduction of the first series of short term Municipal Paper. His ingenuity and ability to encourage bi-partisanship was displayed during the passage of the Municipal Paper legislation in the House of Representatives. Wagner will go down in history as the first Mayor ever to have a bill approved by Cabinet and legislated through the House Of Representatives and the Senate despite the bill originating and proposed by a Municipal Government of an opposing political party. Other achievements of the Council under Wagner’s stewardship include the introduction of the monthly Downtown Super Sale which successfully increased sales and revenue for a number of local businesses in the downtown area of Belize City and provided discounted prices on necessary retail items to thousands of residents countrywide. The introduction of other socio-economic projects such as the Women’s Leadership & Empowerment Workshop, the Cosmetology Workshop, the JBS Program, the Belize City Council Accelerator Program, and the Youth Shadow Council have also created jobs, provided Belizean residents with skill based training to foster entrepreneurship and promoted women and youth empowerment. Infrastructural development has also been a major focus of the Wagner administration. Since 2018, the Belize City Council’s Works Department has replaced over 1,100 manhole covers, paved and cemented over 30 city-streets, rejuvenated one of Belize’s oldest landmarks, the Swing Bridge, and dredged all city-wide canals to reduce flooding in low lying areas. As his love of basketball remains unwavering, Mayor Wagner also facilitated annual sporting activities such as the Summer Baseball and Basketball League tournaments providing constructive recreation for over 500 youths between the ages of 8-17 in the city. Most recently, Mayor Wagner displayed resilience as the COVID-19 pandemic crippled Belize’s economy and resulted in unemployment for over 100,000 citizens countrywide. The Belize City Council remained one of the few institutions to maintain 100% of their staff in 2020 achieved essentially through a pay deferral and shift rotation system. In the interest of public health, the council’s Sanitation Department remained operational without interruption since the onset of the coronavirus in March, and essential services (i.e. Traffic, Property Tax) were upgraded to provide remote online services and reduce the need for physical contact.

Municipal Elections 2021
As of October 9, 2020 Bernard Wagner has confirmed that he will be seeking re-election in the 2021 Municipal Elections. According to Wagner, his main objective will be to fulfill the remaining elements of his Manifesto and engage in new projects to promote sustainable urban development, introduce climate-friendly initiatives such as the Green Urban Transit System and Green Energy Project, expand the traffic light system and increase revenue transparency and neutrality through Trade License Reform.

Family
Wagner is the father of seven children including two step children and is married to Jacinta Hyde, Manager of Belize’s oldest and most prominent Newspaper Publication the Amandala.