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Disruption of municipal services likely over Town Clerk’s appointment disagreement
Kaieteur News – The administration of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), has announced that over the next few days, the provision of certain essentials municipal services to local communities may be disrupted. This is as a direct result of the ongoing disagreement within the Council over the appointment of Candace Nelson as the Interim Town Clerk.
Interim Town Clerk, Candace Nelson
In a statement issued to the press yesterday, the M&CC explained that as a result of the issue, a delay in payment of wages and salaries to the Council’s employees is anticipated.
The statement went on to explain that on her appointment to the position of Acting Town Clerk by the Local Government Commission, Nelson wrote to Republic Bank (the institution where the Council has its accounts) and notified its management of those changes. In that letter, the Town Clerk requested the necessary and corresponding changes to the signatures of the Council’s accounts.
However, it noted that subsequently, the administration was “informed, informally” that the Mayor, Ubraj Narine, had written to the bank (Republic Bank) and attempted to instruct its management to retain the old signature of Ms. Sherry Jerrick, who has been reverted to her substantive position as Assistant Town Clerk, and Mr. John Douglas, City Treasurer (Ag) who is on vacation leave.
“Again, this is unprecedented as it is the administration that has the statutory responsibility to communicate with the bank and related institutions. Neither the Mayor nor any Councillor is a signatory to the accounts of the City Council. The Act, Chap 28:01, does not confer on the Mayor as an individual the authority to write and instruct the bank or any institution for that matter,” the release added.
For all appearances, the statement said that it does appear that the letter, by the Mayor, caused the bank to sustain the old signatories to the accounts.
As a result, it noted that to date, new and necessary changes are not reflected in the Council’s accounts.
The statement outlined that consequently, the administration cannot move forward with the pay roll within the agreed time to pay workers of the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown.
“This would cause a delay in payment of workers’ salaries. This would affect workers ability to perform their tasks and disrupt systems to provide services to citizens,” it said.
Notwithstanding this, it stated that the Town Clerk (Ag), Nelson, has informed the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development and the Chairman of the Local Government Commission.
The M&CC said, that administration is aware that steps are being taken by the Ministry and Commission to resolve the prevailing issue in the shortest possible time.
Additionally, the Town Clerk has also written to the unions (the Guyana Labour Union and the Guyana Local Government Officers Union) that represent workers and officers of the City Council on the matter.
The Chief Administrative Officer has also informed all heads/sectional heads of departments about this pressing issue and has asked them to communicate the facts of the matter to workers attached to their departments, the release added.
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