Obedience is not indiscipline

May 14, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
Please refer to an article headlined: “Mayor can’t authorize commercial banks to recognize King’s signature,” which appeared in your Kaieteur News issue of Tuesday, May 13, 2014.
Specifically at paragraphs 10 and 11 “Whittaker lamented that King, a local Government officer, is acting insubordinate, indisciplined and needs to re-examine himself and do the right thing. And, King being sworn in as Town Clerk (ag) by the Mayor was an illegal act in a public space.
According to Whittaker, “the Ministry is in possession of a report where the Mayor complained bitterly about King when they did not share a good relationship. And, an investigation into King and other staff of City Hall would be conducted shortly.”
I respectfully ask the Honourable Minister of Local Government the following questions:
Is the Honourable Minister of Local Government, Mr. Norman Whittaker saying that my carrying out an instruction of the duly elected Mayor and City Council tantamount to insubordination and indiscipline?
Is the Honourable Minister, by such utterances, encouraging officers and workers of the municipality to disregard the instructions of the duly elected Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown?
Is the Georgetown Municipality not deserving of a qualified Town Clerk?
Is it ethical or even right for the Minister of Local Government or anyone for that matter, to force an employee on an employer?
The Council, not the Mayor as is peddled about, has instructed me, in writing, to perform the duties of Town Clerk. The Council has the authority to do so under Section 120 of the Municipal and District Council Act, Chapter 28:01. “Any appointment made by a council under subsection (1) to a local government office the emoluments of which exceed four thousand and eight hundred dollars per annum shall be reported to the Commission and shall be subject to its approval.
If the Commission decides not to approve an appointment reported pursuant to subsection (2) “the appointment shall forthwith terminate, but without prejudice to the validity of any act previously done by the person appointed by the council.”
Under the same law, at Section 72, Officers are obliged to obey the instructions of the Council. Here is what it says:
There shall be for the City Council the following local government officers, namely
(a) A town Clerk; (b) A municipal treasurer; (c) A city engineer; (d) A medical officer of health; (e) A clerk of market; (f) Such other officers as the council deems necessary for the performance of its functions under this Act, the Public Health Ordinance or any other law.
Again, section 77 (2) states: “A Council may assign duties to a Local Government Officer in its service and such local government officer shall faithfully perform and discharge all such duties.”
I respectfully submit that the statements attributed to the Honourable Minister have serious implications for human resource management and, indeed, the good governance of the Georgetown Municipality. Further, such statements have the potentials to affect structures and processes of this Corporation, consequently affecting vital municipal services, to citizens of Georgetown.
Finally, the Mayor and City Council is guided by the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01. The constitution of the Council at section 3 is quite clear:
“Subject to this Act, the municipal council in and for the City of Georgetown, established as one body politic and corporate by the Georgetown Town Council Ordinance, 1860, by the name and style of “The Mayor and Town Council of Georgetown” and continued by the Georgetown Town Council Ordinance 1918, is hereby continued”
At 8 (1) “The City Council shall consist of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and other
Councillors and shall have such functions as are vested in it by or under this Act or any Law.”
Therefore I, as a Local Government Officer, could not flinch at, or flout the instruction of the Council.
I have committed myself to that and with the help of God, and with the support and cooperation of all the officers and workers, we will turn this council and City around.
Royston King

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Obedience is not indiscipline

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