The Mayor and City Council (MCC) has announced that its expenses have topped $1 billion, despite the fact that the Finance Committee said it had experienced a financial turnover.
The council is currently in a position where total debt is in excess of its cash balance, said to be $83 million. While councillors are claiming that the money is there, no one knows what it is there for because it is not being utilised for the upgrading of the city.
Councillors reiterated that to date, no maintenance of roads nor drainage works were and the May/June rainy season appeared to have started. The council’s budget was approved earlier this year and sent to the Local Government Ministry for approval; that approval is still pending.
At a press conference yesterday, Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green spoke extensively about the financial situation of the council. Chase-Green brought to the attention of councillors that the finances of the council were not as good as the Finance Committee representative had said at a statutory meeting. Instead, she said, the council is currently in a position where it has collected less money for this quarter in comparison to the same period last year.
She said, “I bring these facts before you to say that you couldn’t have $83 million and have all these liabilities. My recent information from the Treasury Department also showed me that our revenue comparison for 2012 and 2013 [from] the month of January to April 24, showed that we are still $7 million short of our collection from 2012… To say that we have $83 million now is unacceptable. The $83 million is saved in the bank at the expense of the deterioration of the city of Georgetown…”
Chase-Green said, “we have not done one foot of road for the year, we have not been able to do any drainage work for the year…”
When asked if persons in the city should be made aware that flooding will occur given that no drainage work was done, Chase-Green said she did not want to say that. “We need to be very careful to keep our surroundings clean. It is of outmost importance to our and our families’ health… We are appealing to people not to dump garbage… In the past few months the garbage situation was horrible…”
Regent and Princes streets are experiencing flooding in some parts with the recent moderate rainfall that has occurred during the past few days. Drains are also clogged and overflowing with garbage.
Chase-Green also said that some security officers were not paid for their overtime since 2011 and the garbage trucks have been out of service for several months, hence she described the situation as unacceptable.
“Yesterday when there was heavy rainfall no one could have used the washrooms (because) one not working and the other one was flooded…,” she added, describing the situation at City Hall. The Deputy Mayor said if there is money in savings, the council must be able to set a standard operation procedure where petty cash is given to every department so they can function effectively on a daily basis.
Former mayor and councillor Ranwell Jordan said the state of the council required an input of money to get immediate works done, while adding that it would be foolish to say there was an $83 million surplus.
Jordan went on to say that it was unfortunate to trust someone who did not have the ability to lead and proceeded to ask if one can “imagine a situation where an officer who is supposed to carry out the decisions of the council refuses to do so?”
Jordan who said he has been with the council from the inception, called the current Town Clerk the worst the council has had to work along with.
Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba has been under criticism for refusing to carry out the decisions of the council in the past. Recently, Mayor of Georgetown Hamilton Green had written to Junior Local Government Minister Norman Whittaker asking for her immediate removal before the situation dissolves into anarchy. This followed Sooba’s refusal to call a meeting he had instructed her to call.
A meeting was held with top officials of the council and the minister on the issue and Sooba was advised to withdraw the letter she had written to the mayor, which was described as disrespectful and offer an apology for her conduct. But to date, no apology has been made nor was the letter withdrawn.
A public forum is expected to be held on Tuesday to engage the public on the condition of the council and possible solutions.
