Just days after embarking on protest action to force the removal of acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba, Mayor Hamilton Green and City Councillors found themselves sitting with her at the council’s statutory meeting yesterday.
Green along with councilors, who last week blocked the entrance to City Hall to prevent Sooba from entering her office, sat with her as they went about the council’s business.
When asked about the decision to sit with Sooba yesterday in light of the recent protest action against her, Green said that he received a letter from Minister in the Ministry of Local Govern-ment Norman Whittaker stating that the ministry will not remove Sooba from the post she occupies.
He added that they decided to go ahead with the meeting so as to get through with certain basic things on the agenda so as to not affect the lives of the people the council serves.
Green also stated that he will be replying to Whittaker’s letter but when asked whether they will accept the ministry’s decision, he stated that the decision is “ridiculous” and that it is not a question of accepting or not, but a question of law.
The mayor also stated that he cannot figure out the next move the councillors will take even though they had vowed that they would continue its protest actions.
During the course of last week Green along with councilors and vendors protested for Sooba’s removal, claiming that she is incompetent to lead the council.
The council had also moved a no-confidence motion against her but the ministry has not endorsed the resolution.
Also at yesterday’s meeting, Councillor Ranwell Jordan was elected to carry out the functions of the ma
yor because Green will be proceeding on leave from today. Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green is out of the jurisdiction and would not be back until the end of the month, hence Jordan’s appointment.
