Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has forwarded a letter to Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud informing him of the no-confidence motion that was passed against her by the council, which is awaiting a response.
This was disclosed yesterday at the Mayor and City Council’s statutory meeting, which came to an early end after councillors Ranwell Jordan and Gwen McGowan expressed their unwillingness to sit under the stewardship of Sooba.
Sooba read the letter, which she said informed the minister of the no-confidence motion against her during the statutory meeting of November 26. She said that it explained that the motion was put to a vote and that 14 councillors voted in favour, five against while two councillors abstained. Sooba pointed out that the letter was sent on November 28 and that the Minister is yet to respond.
“I refuse to sit under this meeting with the Town Clerk acting until someone else is put to act as we have no confidence in her,” Jordan stood and stated before taking his leave from the meeting yesterday.
Mayor Hamilton Green, who was chairing the session, told Jordan that his decision was an entirely personal one to which he was entitled. Jordan was followed out of City Hall’s chambers by McGowan, who had an exchange with PPP Councillor Kamla Devi Ross.
There were also discussions about the appointment of acting Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green, whose election to her current post was reported as flawed.
“Until we obtain the court order, then the Deputy Mayor must be entitled until such time with the privileges she has been enjoying,” Chairman of the Finance Committee, Councillor Junior Garrett said, while adding that the proper procedure must be followed.
Jordan had stated that he was present in the Mayor’s office when Green wrote to Sooba, indicating that she should make arrangements for the election of a Deputy Mayor.
“In that letter, you said you don’t think it’ll take a number of minutes to obtain that order. The letter went on to say that if the Town Clerk thinks that the order ought to be uplifted that you are requesting her to obtain the order… days have passed. I think the Town Clerk should have the order and can carry out your instructions… you did instruct the Town Clerk to do what is necessary to inform this council today on the position of the election of Deputy Mayor,” Jordan stated.
Garrett reiterated that in the absence of the order, Chase-Green should hold the position of Deputy Mayor.
“This is the kind of inappropriate initiative that I talk about… if one follows a logical path, since this matter has been brought here I have personally intervened to achieve what Garrett is talking about. If I understand correctly, the order of the court suggests that the very election of the Deputy Mayor was improper… how could you continue then? There is a lack of logic here,” Mayor Green posited.
Garrett, in response, told the Mayor that he is misleading the council since they are unaware whether the election was indeed incorrect. “The court has to tell us that. We have to obtain the order,” he said.
