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Town Clerk ignores no-confidence, Councilor peeved
The affairs of the Linden Mayor and Town Council (M&TC) continue to be in limbo following the passing of a no confidence motion by Councillors last week, against its Town Clerk, Jenella Bowen.
Linden Mayor and Town Councillor Gordon Callender
Councillor Gordon Callender, who initiated the motion, said that there are numerous issues regarding the manner in which the Town Clerk operates, and continues to operate even after the motion was passed.
He said that there has been even more disappointment. He alleged that Bowen has since refused to release several letters of permission to residents of which she has been in receipt. The actions of the Town Clerk are not in the best interest of the future Council, he added.
“Last Wednesday we had our statutory meeting and at that meeting I moved a motion to suspend the Standing Order. I moved a next motion, which is a no confidence motion against the Town Clerk whom to my mind is very incompetent.”
He added that letters have already been sent to relevant authorities, including Regional Chairman Renis Morian and to the Ministry of Communities regarding the issue.
Callender added that on Monday he received a notice to attend an “extraordinary” meeting at the Council on Tuesday and upon arrival was shocked to see that Ms. Bowen was sitting at the meeting.
“While he stated that he was unaware who had summoned the meeting he noted that Interim Management Committee (IMC) Chairman Orrin Gordon was not in attendance. The meeting was subsequently called off as time had elapsed owing to the fact that there was no one to chair it.”
“As a Councillor, I would have held my ground that I would not be sitting with the Town Clerk after a no confidence motion was moved against her. She still turned up at that meeting. I decided that I’m not going into that parlour if the TC is there so I brought my things outside.
Subsequently, I noticed other Councillors coming outside because the Chairman did not turn up for that meeting. The minutes I collected wasn’t signed by anybody, and it was only the minutes of what happened when I moved the no confidence vote. No agenda. So I don’t know what kind of disrespectful things going on in this place”.
According to him, he then learned that the meeting was called to discuss general matters. The motion against the TC came following her decision not to rescind disciplinary letters against two of the Council employees.
Gordon had stated that the matter is a trivial one, adding that Bowen engaged in the action against the employees while she was on sick leave which, according to him, meant she was technically off the job.
The IMC Vice Chairman, Eric Harry, who was present in the compound, said he was not going to chair the meeting. “I am not going to chair the meeting because the Chairman did not discuss anything with me. He didn’t tell me the purpose of the meeting or the agenda; also I will not sit with the TC.”
The Town Clerk has since refused to comment on the issue.
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