Councillor Ranwell Jordan yesterday declared that the city needs to approach the government in addressing the issue of salaries owed to workers.
“We need to seek an urgent meeting with the minister and others who can be of assistance at this time,” Jordan said.
This remark was made after hearing from City Treasurer Andrew Meredith that: “The probability of paying the salary bill for June is not bright.“
“From what the treasurer has said, it does not assure us that workers will be paid by July 10,“ Jordan stated.
Meanwhile, Councillor Patricia Chase-Green said “What I see happening by the end of August is a total shutdown of the city of Georgetown… NIS is on your back. Contractors are not working. Staff won’t come out to work since they are not sure they will be paid and administration is not dealing with the matter!”
Chase-Green pointed out that again, when such serious issues are being addressed by the council, Town Clerk Yonette Pluck-Cort was not present. “It is atrocious and an insult to the citizens out there,” she stated. “She excuses herself whenever it fits her… She doesn’t want the position,” Chase-Green said.
She suggested that payments should be made in sequence since there are some persons awaiting money for some years now. As a result, council asked that a list be presented of all contractors, whether contracted by the councillors, the Mayor or the Treasurer. Chase-Green stated that until such a list was sorted out, no one should be paid.
Prior to this, several issues were addressed. Chase-Green had earlier raised a matter whereby the Chief Constable was asked to arrest councillors after the previous statutory meeting was adjourned and Pluck-Cort had desired to use the Chambers. “Town Clerk ordered the Chief Constable to get them out of the chambers… This chamber is for councillors to meet anytime, whether there is a statutory meeting or not,” she expressed.
She also mentioned an incident where the Mayor had ordered a worker out of his office when he went to enquire about his salary.
With reference to the behaviour of the Town Clerk towards councillors, Jordan described that situation as one “that must go down in the records”. He further stated “Also bad, the news media were ordered out of the chambers! I’m happy that more than one TV station captured the Town Clerk pointing her fingers in the faces of the councilors.“
Councillor Junior Garrett, also expressing concern over the matter, stated: “It was gross eye pass and disrespect to councillors. You can’t assault councillors in councillors’ chambers! The Chief Constable sat there and allowed the Town Clerk to assault councillors and said nothing. This shows that he is weak.“
Addressing the issue of the Mayor “chasing an employee who was asking about his money,“ Garrett suggested the council send a letter of apology to the employee as an indication that the council does not condone the behaviour of the Mayor. “We should tell the Mayor how he should treat people,” Garrett said.
