Team Benschop answers Freddie Kissoon

Feb 22, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Team Benschop would like to acknowledge and thank columnist and activist Freddie Kissoon for his unquestionable support for Team Benschop by his public declaration (in his Column date 2016/2/12 titled “LGE: Questions for the Contestants”) of his intention to vote for our Candidate Bryon Mackintosh in Constituency #5.  Mr. Kissoon has joined thousands of Guyanese who are eager to return sound leadership to their city, that leadership is intertwined with the very fabric that bonds Team Benschop.
Our candidates like many Guyanese and especially Georgetown residents want to rid ourselves of the politics that has stagnated the provision of services, services which hard earned tax payers seek every day. We have noted and would like to use this space to respond to some queries posed by Mr Kissoon in that very column. No doubt there have been similar queries of our Team since we announced our intention to contest in the Local Government Elections.
Mr. Kissoon wants to know whether or not the Town Clerk is “under the jurisdiction of the council”. The Town Clerk is the administrative officer and “Chief Executive Officer” of the City as explained in the Municipal and District Council’s Act Chap 28:01. The Town Clerk is appointed by the Minister of Local Government, in this case the Minister of Communities in the absence of a Local Government Commission.
The process of appointment supposedly precedes a fair application process by all candidates vying for that position. Once a Town Clerk has been selected that person by law is “required to hold general responsibility for coordinating the work of the council” and is also expected by law to carry out duties assigned by the said council.
Let it be understood that while the council is expected to assign duties to the Town Clerk in keeping with the Municipal and District Council Act, the Council can register its lack of confidence in the said person but the final decision on the Town Clerk’s fate lies with the responsible minister. The above statement is also an attempt at answering Mr. Kissoon’s second query. Team Benschop hopes that it would be able to benefit from the support of professional officers attached at City Hall for the sake of good governance in keeping with the laws of this country.
There has been a great deal of responsibility attached to the positions of Town Clerk, Treasurer, Clerk of Markets, City Engineer as well as several other positions and we acknowledge that with those responsibilities come expectations. Team Benschop would like to assure officers that there would be room for the practice of lawful professionalism and we expect them to use their authority wisely and avoid blatant misrepresentation of power.
Mr. Kissoon, as much as Team Benschop is committed to ensuring that officers of the City Council are accountable by law and to the people, we are aware that we will need to work on boosting the morale of many of these staffers. The City’s administration and by extension its many branches of professional services have been subjected to the harsh realities of politicking which has damaged work ethic and morale over the decades.
Team Benschop is resolving to apply care, that is, nurturing to this situation, we don’t see the need to apply any band aids to these wounds. These officers and city workers would need a process of deep introspection and well as healing and morale building and we are committed to such.
Another query of Mr Kissoon’s is whether or not as a council we would be able to “rein in the City Constabulary”. We would like to point out that Mr. Kissoon’s concerns like many others are similar in nature and surrounding the often correct or perceived notion that the city constables misuse their powers.
Let us say that they are many examples of the misuse of power as well as there are examples of clear unlawful activities in which these officers’ professional stature is tested. We would like a chance to apply our principle of morale boosting to these critical set of city workers. Right now we are on the outside and many not understand the pressure and plight faced by these officers. This goes without saying that in cases of clear and blatant disregard for laws, duties and citizens’ rights we would act accordingly in cases of where these officers breach the law.
And finally, Mr. Kissoon wants to know whether or not the Council would be able to ensure speedy services be provided, in particular from the City Engineer’s Department. Team Benschop would like to assure Mr. Kissoon and residents of Georgetown that we are committed the effective management of services and the prompt and efficient provision of these services.
But we can make promises and just talk a lot without understanding the challenges of the city’s administration. We recognise that there is a demand for greater services as much as we recognise that some of these same providers of services are faced with many challenges. Like we have pointed out earlier, there is a need for introspection and a need to assess the needs of these administrative and other services once we are on the inside.
Team Benschop remains committed to providing management to the city in accordance with the laws and at the same time recognise that a lot of work would have to be done to heal the departments and staff of the city’s administration. We hope these answers are to the satisfaction of Mr. Kissoon and any other residents of Georgetown who have similar concerns.
Ronson Gray,
Campaign Manager.
Team Benschop for Mayor

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