Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday announced that she has received a copy of the report of the recently-concluded Commission of Inquiry Report (CoI) into the operations of City Hall.
She made the disclosure at a statutory meeting. According to Chase-Green, she was yet to go through the findings but she noted that a number of recommendations have been made put forward.
The Local Government Commission in October set up the CoI after receiving numerous complaints about the management of City Hall. The CoI was tasked with inquiring into the administration, operation and financial management of the affairs of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown.
Chase-Green informed the councillors that she will make the report available for the perusal of the city administration and at some point will convene a special meeting for deliberations.
Councillor Welton Clarke requested that a copy of be made available for every councillor.
While the Mayor agreed to do so, she indicated that the administration will have to decide whether they have the resources to reproduce copies to be circulated. Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe signaled her willingness to have the copies circulated but some councillors argued that it was a waste of resources.
Councillor Oscar Clarke noted that because of the volume of the report, the acting Town Clerk should reconsider her position. It was noted that the report contains 120 pages and while it concerns the current council, he pointed out that some councillors will not be returning and they will be wasting resources.
“It will be thousands of pages to print, Madam Mayor and it is a complete waste of resources,” Councillor Ron Persaud added.
It was later suggested that the council email the document to every councillor, to which everyone agreed.
The CoI was chaired by retired judge Cecil Kennard. Town Clerk Royston King was asked to proceed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the inquiry, which has found that he and Chase-Green and “are not working in the best interest of the city.” It has also recommended that several officers, including King, be disciplined for abuse of office and other violations.
