City Council budget to focus on service

Feb 06, 2010 News

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THE Mayor and City Council budget for 2010, which will be presented before February 15, will focus strictly on the delivery of services and not on departments, Commissioner of the Implementation Committee of City Hall, Mr. Keith Burrowes, said Wednesday night.
The Commissioner convened a meeting with City Hall’s Heads of Department, all of whom were present, at Duke Lodge, Kingston, Georgetown, as part of the consultation process before the budget estimates are presented to the Finance Committee and the Council respectively.
The City Hall officials were made aware of what will be presented in the budget and to ensure that it incorporates the recommendations of the Burrowes Report. It was reiterated that the Budget will present a focus on the achievement of tangible results with respect to the various service delivery areas of the Council.
In a recent interview, Deputy Mayor Robert Williams said that a committee – the M&CC Implementation Committee – intended to provide technical and administrative support toward the Council in implementing the Burrowes recommendations, has been established. Some members of this committee were also present at Wednesday’s meeting.
Mr. Williams remarked that the Council’s budget this year will focus on service delivery and the core operations of the municipality and will be in accordance with the Burrowes recommendations, which have been approved by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development.
When asked to comment on the approach taken by Mr. Burrowes in calling the meeting, Williams said: “It’s a new approach and one with inputs from technical and professional persons who can see the proposals from outside and give the other point of view. That can only serve for an effective and good budget. I welcome the opportunity that the Council was afforded by Burrowes.”
The Deputy Mayor observed that the M&CC staff conducted extensive research and analysis in preparation for their contribution to this year’s budget.
He recalled that the 2009 budget was made primarily in response to complaints that were received by the Council but this year, a more analytical approach is being taken, he added.
City Hall’s financial woes and other overwhelming problems have propelled the establishment of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the affairs at City Hall, headed by Mr. Burrowes, who was sworn in as Commissioner on August 5, 2008 by Minister of Local Government Kellawan Lall.
Emanating from the CoI was the Implementation Committee, established to facilitate the effective implementation of the recommendations contained in the CoI’s report. The IC consists of 11 members – persons drawn from various fields and with multiple and relevant technical skills and independent of the Council.
To date, the IC has provided support toward (i) the establishment of benchmarks for the Council against which its progress will be measured, (ii) the development an integrated General Ledger and (ii) the completion of the 2010 Budget and review of the 2009 Budget.
The Commission, which commenced its work on September 17, 2008, evolved from the Auditor-General’s Report that highlighted serious breaches in regulations and protocol by the administrative bodies of the municipality, particularly within the City Treasury.
The findings contained in the report revealed that major changes are required in the management and governance structures to facilitate the success of the recommended strategies and to efficiently and effectively operationalising the municipality.
The Commission has deduced from its investigations that the environment in which the current management operates would seriously impede the work of any new personnel employed or appointed to optimise the operational capabilities and capacity of the municipality.
Although Mr. Burrowes had initiated an overhaul and restructuring of the Treasury systems, which will ensure that the accounts for the year 2010 are finally acceptable to the Auditor-General, the Report stipulates a dire necessity for a complete overhaul of the entire management structure before any additional fiscal outlay is made to bolster the Council’s operations.
The recommendations of the Report stress on the primary factor of enhanced accountability and for a mechanism to be created for ensuring that the platform is set for the establishment of a framework that would provide greater oversight of the overall operations of the M&CC.
The Burrowes Report has provided detailed recommendations to address, inter alia: adequate zoning, improved governance, enhanced debt-recovery, which will lead to a reduction of arrears and the establishment of a comprehensive database to ensure that Council is able to determine the various services it offers.
Minister Lall ordered the inquiry that was being conducted by a panel including Councilor Ranwell Jordan, Patricia Chase-Green, Mr. Premchand Dass, all Councillors; trade unionist Mr. Andrew Hicks; Mr. Brijlall Rampersaud of the Ministry of Local Government; Mr. Puran Persaud, Mr. Mahindra Ishri and Mr. George Abrams.

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