Former councillor Carvel Van Putten says he was treated like an outsider in his time with the Corporation of Hamilton — and that reform is long overdue.

Mr. Van Putten believes his background as a Court Street-based black businessman meant his views on some issues were taken less seriously than others' before he resigned two years ago.

He says opening up the electoral process will help modernise the two-century old Corporation, a suggestion he put to Premier Ewart Brown in a letter shortly after quitting in July 2008.

In that letter, he dubbed the Corporation "cliquey, racist and discriminatory"; and around the same time he predicted to The Royal Gazette the municipality was on the verge of collapse.

Yesterday, he said most times the Corporation got together he felt like an outsider, particularly one occasion at Bermuda Yacht Club.

"When I met the new Governor, I was the only man of colour there at that time," he said.

"We were talking about the Governor. They were discussing issues of the city and what Government was paying to do, but I felt like an outsider listening to them talk. It was like white people talking and I was listening."

Mr. Van Putten said while on the Corporation his idea of helping homeless people in the City Hall area by giving them car washing jobs was knocked back by fellow members who said that was Government's problem.

He added that sometimes when members saw him in the street they would quickly make their excuses and leave.

In his letter to the Premier, he stated: "I felt that I was discriminated against just because I was black and a member of the Bermuda Industrial Union.

"I was on occasion asked to leave meetings or banned from meetings simply because I was affiliated with the Bermuda Industrial Union."

Asked if Mr. Van Putten had been made to feel an outsider, Mayor Charles Gosling replied last night: "Probably at the time, yes, he was, but unfortunately Mr. Van Putten's time predates at least eight of the current members of the board.

"He's right. Change does occur. We as a team have embraced change and I think he would be quite surprised not only with the way the board has gone about that. If he was on the board today, he would not be the only black person — we have got five black people on the board."

Mr. Gosling conceded in years gone by it was often a case of "same old same old" with the board's make-up being part of the white business elite.

But he argued the current group had attempted to branch out more only to struggle to get interest from residents of North East Hamilton. Among Mr. Van Putten's suggestions to Dr. Brown were giving the vote to everyone who pays city taxes regularly, letting all elected members vote on all matters and paying members so they can afford to take time off work.

The Corporation's plan for reform, which included an upheaval of the electoral system, was put to Government in October 2008 but has not been taken on board, said Mr. Gosling.

The Mayor has said the Corporation would be financially crippled by plans in the Municipalities Reform Act to repeal its right to claim wharfage and port dues.

Mr. Van Putten said yesterday: "The money is not going to disappear. It won't go into the coffers that they want."

He has not read the bill and believes many people, including MPs, don't know how the Corporation really works — but welcomed discussion on the subject.

Dr. Brown has criticised Mr. Gosling for a "destructive media campaign" against Government. Mr. Van Putten reflected yesterday: "They are fighting for breath. It's changing and people are afraid of change."

Yesterday, The Royal Gazette visited Court Street to get views on the proposed legislation, which Mr. Gosling believes will lead to the Corporation losing so much money it will have to be "rescued" by a Government takeover bid. Few people had anything positive to say about the municipality — but neither did many have faith Government would do a better job if it ended up in charge of the city.

The most frequent complaint was that North Hamilton is neglected while cash is pumped into Front Street and Reid Street.

"The Corporation come around at election time and make all sorts of promises that haven't been kept," said one worker.

He pointed to shops that were empty at 11.30 a.m., sidewalks that need repairing and electricity lines that should be underground. But he predicted things would get worse if Government was in charge, saying widening out the Corporation to include "real people" would be the ideal solution.

Business owners were angry so many construction projects are underway at one moment and nothing had been done to alleviate the resulting lack of car parking spaces.

"With all this construction going on, they have never made any allowances for us," said one.

"We will be gone by next month. We are almost out of business. If Government takes it over, I will be more than happy."

Shawn Smith of Sparky's Cycle Repair said: "We have a lot of issues as far as trash not being picked up. And when they started building, they blocked off the street. Nobody consulted us. Our so-called clients thought we were closed."

Asked whether he would support a Government takeover, Mr. Smith said: "No, but my opinion is not going to change anything."