City Hall drafts policy to guide disbursement of funds for constituency projects

Jun 18, 2018 News

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) is moving to establish a framework which will help guide the disbursement of funds for constituency projects.

Town Clerk Royston King

Last week, the Council announced that the Ministry of Communities released $57 million to fund community projects in the 15 constituencies.
Council officials had confirmed that all of the projects are to be executed under the ‘Restoration Grant’.
Officials said $24M has been set aside for the fiscal transfer plan and that the Ministry has since asked that all procurement procedures be followed.
During a recently held statutory meeting at City Hall, Town Clerk Royston King said that the policy is expected to cover a number of issues including what makes a candidate eligible to obtain a contract, in accordance with the laws, that govern the operations of City Hall.
In his remarks to the council, King specifically highlighted sections of the Municipal District and Council’s Act, which deals with the terms and conditions that a member of the Council, who might be interested in a specific contract, can benefit.
Alluding to Section Seventy (70), subsection (1) of the Municipal District and Council’s Act Chapter 28:01, the Town Clerk outlined “if any councillor has any pecuniary interests in the contract, direct or indirect including (proposed contracts) or any other matter, he shall at the meeting, as soon as practicable after the commencement, disclose the fact and shall not take part in the consideration or discussion of, or vote on any question with respect to the contract and any other matter.
“Provided this section shall not apply to an interest in a contract or any other matter, which a councillor may have a ratepayer or inhabitant of the council area or as an ordinary consumer of electricity or water or any matter relating to the terms on which the right to participate in any service including the supply of goods, is offered to the public.
For the purposes of this section, a Councillor shall be deemed to have an indirect pecuniary interest in the contract or other matter;
If he or any nominee of his is a member of a company or other body with, which the contract is made or is proposed to be made or which has a direct pecuniary in other matter under consideration; or he is a partner or is in the employment of a person with whom the contract is made or who has a direct pecuniary interest in the other matter under consideration.”
The Town Clerk noted further that the section stipulates that where a Councillor has indirectly a pecuniary interest in a contract or other matter and would not fall to be treated as having such an interest but for the fact that he has a beneficial interest in shares of a company or other body ,then, if the nominal value of those shares does not exceed five hundred dollars so much of subsection (1) prohibits him from taking part in the consideration or discussion of, or from voting on any question with respect to, the contract or other matter shall not apply to him, without prejudice, however, to the duty of disclosure imposed by subsection(1).”
King simplified therefore that law does not prohibit members of the Council from benefiting from projects, “all that this means is that Councillors must disclose whether they may have a financial interest in a specific project or matter”
The Town Clerk disclosed a draft of the framework will soon be available for dissemination to members of the council.
Additionally, he noted that a register will be created for the purpose of disclosures by Councillor who might be interested in special community projects slated to commence shortly.
Twelve constituencies have submitted proposals for projects and they were all given the green light by the Ministry of Communities. Constituency 1 – Kingston East & West, Thomas Lands, Non- Pariel Park, Cummingsburg, Alberttown & Queenstown –and Constituency 15 –Meadow Bank/Agricola were among the communities left to finalize their projects.