Local government in the Bahamas exists at two levels: 32 districts and 41 towns. The boundaries of districts are defined by the First Schedule of The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996 (as amended by law and declarations of the Minister responsible for Family Island Affairs),Chapter 37, Local Government, Statute Law of the Bahamas defined with reference to parliamentary constituency boundaries. The Second Schedule lists 13 districts which are divided into town areas. Towns are governed by directly elected town committees.Chapter 37, Part III, Statute Law of the Bahamas. Second Schedule districts are governed by nine-person district councils composed of the chairs of the town committees, and if numerically required, additional people elected by the town committees.Chapter 37, Part IV, Statute Law of the Bahamas. The 19 Third Schedule districts are unitary authorities which cannot be divided into towns. They are governed by nine-person district councils which are directly elected by voters. The powers of Second Schedule and Third Schedule councils are slightly different, and the Third Schedule district known as the City of Freeport has a slightly different list of enumerated powers.Chapter 37, Section 14, Statute Law of the Bahamas.
At the national level, local government policy is formulated and administered by the Department of Lands and Local Government through the Office of the Prime Minister. The day-to-day policy handling of the portfolio falls to the Minister of Local Government who also is empowered to modify the list and boundaries of districts. Administrative and financial management of local government is overseen by the ministry's permanent secretary.
History Local government previously existed in the Bahamas in the form of appointed "Board of Works". Here towns and villages held their influence over these Board of Works, but almost all final decisions were made by the central government through that islands' Commissioner. The modern system of local government that is in use today was created by The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996. The Out Islands of the country enjoy a somewhat greater degree of autonomy, but New Providence Island, hosting capital city Nassau, is directly governed by the central government. The Act defines the form of government in each district by listing it on either its Second Schedule or its Third Schedule.
Districts 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. The districts were last defined according to the Local Government Act 2024, keeping in place the 33 districts existing at that time. This act also increased the financial autonomy of the districts by allowing them to raise their own revenue through taxes, fees and grants.
Since the creation of the system, the question of local government for New Providence has been debated. The Minister responsible for Family Island Affairs has the power to create one or more districts for all or part of New Providence by decree.
The Second Schedule districts are: North Abaco Central Abaco South Abaco North Andros Central Andros South Andros Cat Island Central Eleuthera South Eleuthera Exuma East Grand Bahama West Grand Bahama Long Island
The Third Schedule districts are: Acklins Berry Islands Bimini City of Freeport Crooked Island & Long Cay Exuma Cays (formerly Black Point) Grand Cay Great Abaco Cays (formerly Hope Town) Green Turtle Cay Harbour Island Inagua Mangrove Cay Mayaguana Moore's Island North Eleuthera Ragged Island Rum Cay San Salvador Spanish Wells
New Providence There are 24 supervisory districts of New Providence island. + Supervisory districtsNamePopulation(2022)MaleFemaleBain and Grants Town10,3614,9965,365Bamboo Town13,9656,7347,231Carmichael11,9315,7536,178Centreville12,8176,1806,637Elizabeth13,4686,4946,974Englerston12,0825,8266,256Freetown12,9436,2416,702Fort Charlotte10,8095,2125,597Fox Hill13,8556,6817,174Garden Hills10,4235,0265,397Golden Gates9,9244,7855,139Golden Isles16,2207,8218,399Killarney17,6798,5259,154Marathon11,7885,6846,104Mount Moriah10,3384,9855,353Nassau Village11,7175,6506,067Pinewood10,6665,1435,523Sea Breeze12,6826,1156,567South Beach12,2925,9276,365Southern Shores12,8316,1876,644St Annes13,0376,2866,751St Barnabas10,5705,0975,473Tall Pines15,1357,2987,837Yamacraw8,9884,3344,654New Providence296,521142,980153,541The Bahamas398,916192,546206,370
Demographics + District(s) or Other Area Island Group Population (2022) Male Female Largest City Acklins 692 334 358 Salina Point Berry Islands 1,016 490 526 Great Harbour Cay Bimini 2,418 1,166 1,252 Alice Town Cat Island 1,601 772 829 New BightCentral Grand Bahama(parliamentary constituency in Freeport) Grand Bahama 11,496 5,543 5,953 Freeport Crooked Island 305 147 158 Landrial Point East Grand Bahama Grand Bahama 11,011 5,502 5,509 Pelican Point Exuma + Black Point 7,293 3,517 3,776 George Town Harbour Island Eleuthera 1,861 897 964 Dunmore Town Inagua 856 413 443 Matthew Town Long Island 2,887 1,392 1,495 Burnt Ground Marco City(parliamentary constituency in Freeport) Grand Bahama 10,527 5,076 5,451 Freeport Mayaguana 208 100 108 Abraham's BayNew Providence 296,521 142,980 153,541Nassau North Abaco + Grand Cay + Green Turtle Cay + Hope Town Abaco 10,057 4,849 5,208 Treasure Cay North Andros Andros 4,069 1,962 2,107 Nicholls Town North Eleuthera Eleuthera 3,923 1,892 2,031 The Bluff Pineridge(parliamentary constituency in Freeport) Grand Bahama 8,082 3,897 4,185 Freeport Ragged Island 44 21 23 Duncan Town Rum Cay 90 43 47 Port Nelson San Salvador 825 398 427 Cockburn Town South Abaco + Central Abaco + Moore's Island Abaco 6,530 3,149 3,381 Marsh Harbour South Andros + Central Andros + Mangrove Cay Andros 3,711 1,789 1,922 Moxey Town South Eleuthera + Central Eleuthera Eleuthera 5,324 2,567 2,757 Rock Sound Spanish Wells Eleuthera 1,609 776 833 Spanish Wells West Grand Bahama Grand Bahama 5,960 2,874 3,086 West EndThe Bahamas 398,916 192,546 206,370 Nassau (Capital)
Towns
As of the 2022 local elections, the town areas of the Bahamas include:Local Government 2022 FORM R Results Town Committees Cat Island District Arthur's Town The Bight Central Abaco District Marsh Harbour and Spring City Murphy Town Dundas Town Central Andros District Behring Point and Cargill Creek Fresh Creek Staniard Creek Central Eleuthera District Gregory Town Savannah Sound James Cistern Town Hatchet Bay East Grand Bahama District McCleans Town and Pelican Point Freetown Exuma District East Exuma West Exuma Long Island District North End North Abaco District Little Abaco Cooper's Town Treasure Cay North Andros District Lowe Sound Nicholls Town Mastic Point South Abaco District Crossing Rock Sandy Point South Andros District Deep Creek Kemp's Bay The Bluff Long Bay Cays South Eleuthera District Wemyss Bight West Grand Bahama District Eight Mile Rock West Pinder's Point
Types of councils
Every district in the Bahamas, with the exception of New Providence, has a district council.Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, Section 10:1 Retrieved 27 November 2010. A district council is a corporate body with perpetual succession; 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 within the scope of the Local Government Act.Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:2 Retrieved 27 November 2010. District Councillors are elected by the population of that district in accordance with Local Government Act.Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 10:4 Retrieved 27 November 2010. As stated in The Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Districts councillors shall within two weeks of their election, elect from among themselves a Chief Councillor.Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11 Retrieved 27 November 2010. The Chief Councillor is the representative of a Districts Council for all affairs and presides over all meetings and also themselves co-ordinate these meetings.Bahamas Local Government Act 1996, Part IV, 11:2 Retrieved 27 November 2010.
All districts councils are classed as first-schedule councils. The first-schedule is further sub-divided into two types of councils: two tier second-schedule district councils that have town committees within their jurisdiction, and unitary third-tier district councils. Second-schedule districts have the following statutory boards and committees:
Road Traffic Licensing Authority Port and Harbour Authority Hotel Licensing Board Liquor and Shop Licensing Town Planning Committee
Town committees are sub-structures of the second-schedule district councils, but are also corporate bodies themselves. They share responsibility with second-schedule district councils for a number of the schedule local government functions. They also have statutory responsibility for local regulation and licensing within their jurisdiction. Third-schedule districts councils are unique within the Bahamas because they combine the responsibilities of the second-schedule districts and of the town committees. Both second- and third-schedule district councils carry out a building control function.
Distribution of councils and population (2022 Census)Island Group2nd tier 3rd tierTown (+1,000)Population New Providence 0 0 1 296,521 Abaco islands 2 04 16,587 Acklins 0 10692 Andros Island 2 007,780 Berry Islands 0 101,016 Bimini 0 1 1 2,418 Cat Island 1 0 0 1,601 Crooked Island01 0305 Grand Bahama 2 32 47,076 Eleuthera 2 2 2 12,717 Exuma and Cays 1 01 7,293 Inagua 0 1 0 856 Long Island 1 00 2,887 Mayaguana 0 1 0 208 Ragged Island 0 1 0 44 Rum Cay 0 10 90 San Salvador 0 10 825 TOTAL 13 19 351,461
Elections
Local government elections take place once every three years in the Bahamas with the most recent elections taking place on 27 January 2022. The 2020 elections were postponed due to COVID-19 until Emergency Power Orders were lifted. The voting system used in local government elections is the first-past-the-post system. Both councillors of third-schedule district councils and members of town committees are directly elected, while members of second-schedule councils are indirectly elected from town committees. Third schedule district councils have between five and nine members, whereas the size of councils in both second-schedule councils and town committees varies according to population size. By elections are held whenever the need arises. A councillor is deemed to have resigned if they are absent for three consecutive meetings.
For both types of district councils the Chief Councillors and their deputies are indirectly elected from amongst the elected officials. They serve for the lifetime of the council and the Minister of Local Government determines their stipend. Second-schedule district councils' statutory boards also elect chairpersons and their deputies from amongst their members.
Major islands Reference map for the Islands of the Bahamas