Referring to the behaviour of Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba as “mischievous”, Georgetown Mayor Hamilton Green yesterday urged citizens not to be influenced by her actions.
The mayor made the comment after he was asked about the ongoing conflict between members of the council and Sooba as well as the failure of the council to fully utilise money it received from the Japanese government to execute a solid waste management project.
Sooba had said that the conflict between her and Green had to do with her refusal to write off taxes Green’s wife owed. Green has since refuted the accusation and stated that he is asking for the Town Clerk to be removed because she failed to carry out the decisions of the council.
Green admitted that poor administration was the reason for the failure in executing the project funded by the Japanese.
In 2009, the Japanese government had given the council a grant of US$75,828 towards a grassroots environmental enhancement project for Lodge Housing Scheme and Century Palm Gardens.
But the donor subsequently wrote to the council asking for the reimbursement of $753,264; the money that was left over, after the council failed to complete the project within the prescribed time frame.
In April 2009, Green had held a meeting with residents of Lodge Housing Scheme and Century Palm Gardens and revealed that the project was expected to commence shortly and would be executed in two stages. He had told the residents that funding had been secured from the Government of Japan and a garbage truck was purchased for waste collection from the two communities. He had also promised road repairs and street lighting in the areas. Nothing further was heard of the project apart from a letter from the mayor’s personal assistant, John Green, in June of that same year which said that an account had been opened at Republic Bank and the funds deposited there. That letter also stated that the signatories to the account were the Town Clerk, the City Treasurer and the Director of Solid Waste.
Public Relations Officer of the council Royston King confirmed that a compactor truck, the fabrication and installation of garbage receptacles and a public awareness programme were all the things the money was spent on.
Green noted that former Town Clerk Yonette Pluck-Cort, acting City Treasurer Andrew Meredith and Director of the Solid Waste Management Unit Hubert Urlin, were the signatories to the account. The three of them have since been dismissed, Green added.
According to a media report, Sooba had said that Green was one of the signatories to the account. When asked about this, Green admitted that he was initially one of the signatories but added that he subsequently withdrew his name leaving the three former officials and “had nothing… to do with the account.” He also said that even with the dismissal of the three former officers, their signatures are still on the account.
Meanwhile, Green said the council was in the process of seeking funding from the private sector and other potential donors to facilitate the restoration of City Hall. He commented that the inaccurate information provided by the Town Clerk was unhelpful to the process. He also restated that City Hall has been complaining that the lack of funding is one of the main reasons it has not been able to function effectively.
