Dear Editor,
Like most citizens one is disconcerted by the immodest behaviour (to say the least) of the Councillors of the City of Georgetown.
Individually and severally, they have set an example which no other similar organisation would wish to emulate.
Theirs has been a discouraging example of ill-informed decision-making that should, where possible, be concealed from view – of all stakeholders, including children.
That is not to say that the Minister of Local Government should not have taken recourse to more focused advice in order to address the imbroglio with the intelligence that should derive from that office.
The parties involved seemed to have painted themselves into their respective corners, unmindful of the very (Burrowes) Enquiry Report – quoted (only with reference to the newly appointed incumbent of the Office of the Town Clerk).
For both their benefits, and that of other distanced individual and corporate citizens, as well as the distracted ministry, the following excerpts of summaries of the report’s recommendations should, hopefully, have a cautionary effect on impetuosity.
The report which was accepted by all the parties involved, including the unions, also listed the following recommendations – extracted from pages 4 – 9 of Volume 1: Findings and Recommendations.
General
At page 35, among the recommendations listed under 4.1.2.3 is the following:
Councillors will also be well advised to re(read) paragraph 2 of the COI Findings under 4.1.4.2 on page 39.
One hopes that the above information will provide sober reflection for all the players involved, and particularly the Minister of Local Government who should display the requisite leadership capacity, by inviting the council’s representation to a constructive dialogue, that will be appropriately informed so as to jointly devise a more sustainable construct for the management and operations of the Town Clerk’s Office along the lines of the findings and recommendations of the Commission of Enquiry Report to which all have publicly subscribed.
In short the opportunity should be grasped to rise from the current platform of squabbles to the requisite higher level of trust, reconstruction and eventual progress.
Yours faithfully,
E B John