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Municipalities call for salaries, not stipends

May 24, 2017 News

Mayor of Region Ten, Linden, Carwyn Holland, made calls, last Friday, at the Municipal Conference 2017,for Guyana’s nine municipal leaders to be paid a salary and not a stipend.

Municipal bodies would have held several meetings leading up to the conference. Holland explained that they are all of the belief that the meagre sum of $15,000 for mayors is not enough.
Being a part of the local government drive, mayors, councilors and overseers are full-time positions which demand one’s unequivocal integrity and undeserved commitment, Holland said.
He explained that young individuals make up the local municipalities. Many of the bodies have young families to take care of, and other responsibilities. The nine municipal bodies are at “the forefront of local democracy at community level.” That is a profound responsibility, Holland stated.
All councilors are currently constrained to maintain jobs outside their council responsibilities in order to support themselves and families. It has become blatantly evident that the responsibilities of the affirmation offices require a full time commitment, which is not possible without added compensation. The roles of councilors can no longer be considered and treated as part time jobs, Holland explained, “We are torn between fulfilling our municipal mandate and honoring our foremost responsibilities to our families.”
It is imperative that our councilors fulfill their function effectively. This would drive development to another level, Holland noted.
In some instances, councilors are precluded from remuneration from times missed at work. Even more unfortunate, some have lost their jobs. According to Holland, this therefore necessitates that councilors be given compensation commensurate with their works done in respective constituencies.
Holland compared Guyana’s municipality stipends to Caribbean countries municipal bodies’ salary. In Jamaica the lowest paid councilor earns GY$181,000, in Trinidad GY$107,000 and in Brazil GY$829,000. In Guyana the highest paid council is the mayor who earns GY$15,000.
Holland called on the government to pay municipalities a wage; if youths are to be involved in the future of local government, compensation must be given.
Guyana’s nine municipalities led by mayors, deputy mayors, and councilors are at the forefront of deeming local democracy at community level, a profound responsibility. That demands unequivocal integrity and undeserved commitment.
“Today I petition for my mayoral counterparts to receive full time salaries. Our remuneration as political and administrative leaders of our municipalities is negligible. It has become blatantly evident that the responsibilities of the affirmation offices require a full time commitment that is not possible without added remuneration. All councilors are currently constrained to maintain jobs outside their council responsibilities in order to support themselves and families.
“The roles of councilors can no longer be considered and treated as part time jobs in light of the changed requirement. This petition is driven by the realization of my mates and I.
“We are torn between fulfilling our municipal mandate and honoring our foremost responsibilities to our families. In some instances employers demonstrate leniency.
He said that the tussle between vocation and the commitment to the people that they are elected to serve continues to be a point of contention.
Our youths must be inspired to be in the municipal development. However they will be deterred by the absence of remuneration, he added.

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