Chairman of the Linden IMC, Orrin Gordon, has described as an “eye pass” a proposed monthly sti-pend for municipal councillors.
Gordon told his colleagues that he had seen a document from the Ministry of Communities with recommendations for a monthly stipend of $8,000 for municipal councillors.
Stating that the proposed stipend is low because councillors have accepted a very low stipend for some time, Gordon also rationalized that if the municipal workers’ wages are not increased it would seem morally inappropriate to raise the councillors’ stipend. He, however, opined that the time has come for comparisons to be made across the nation and he has noticed that toshaos now have duty-free concessions for vehicles and he has not seen anything in that legislation for mayors and deputy mayors. “This kind of inequity,” he concluded, “is not good for local democracy.”
PNC/R Councillor, Gordon Callendar suggested that all the municipalities should speak with one voice on the matter. But Gordon said the Guyana Association of Municipa-lities had requested an increase of councillors’ stipend in 2005 and 2007 but the previous administration totally ignored the request.
He added that the mayors of New Amster-dam and Georgetown received stipends from the Ministry of Local Govern-ment – a privilege that was not granted to other mayors or IMC chairmen.
Pointing out that only regional chairmen and deputy regional chairmen are full time political employees at the local government level, Gordon said that when he saw the proposal of an $8,000 monthly stipend for councillors, he found it to be “a shameful and disgraceful thing.”
Moral authority
Stressing that government has generally treated municipal councillors, mayors and IMC chairmen with total disdain, Gordon said there were two reasons no other council has the moral authority to question the Linden Municipality. He stated that it is the only council at this time that has an 80% record of councillors attending meetings. The second reason, he said, was while the chairman and vice chairman received stipends, Linden was the only municipality until a few years ago in which the councillors did not receive a stipend. He, however, cautioned that proposing an increase in stipend for councillors should be done properly.
The IMC Chairman also contended that such a request should not negatively affect the councillors’ move for the employees to receive an increase in wages and salaries.
Cop out
IMC Vice Chairman, Eric Harry said that he spoke to two senior officers from the Ministry of Communities who said that mayors and deputy mayors are not entitled to duty-free concessions for vehicles because under the law while councillors are entitled to four year terms, mayoral elections should be held annually and the law would have to be changed for duty-free concessions to be considered for mayors.
However, Gordon claimed that such an explanation “is a cop out” because he knows of “two mayors, who receive stipends and one of them has received duty-free concession.” He did not name them.
