Special Person: Reflecting on his tenure in office with fond memories and satisfaction

Apr 30, 2023 Features / Columnists, News, Special Person

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Bartica’s first Mayor Gifford Eldon Marshall is a Special Person

By: Rehanna Ramsay

Kaieteur News – As the nation prepares for the holding of the next Local Government Elections on June 12, 2023, many elected officials are preparing to take a step back from public life and hand over the reins of community leadership to other suitable candidates.

Having served and represented Bartica for the past seven years, Mr. Gifford Eldon Marshall, the Town’s first Mayor is among those preparing to demit office.

Officially taking up office in 2016, at the return of the Local Government Elections, Marshall, a trained teacher, entered active politics and adopted the watchwords: “Service, Success, and Succession,” as his personal motto.

As such, together with his family, the team at the municipality, and the generous support of the people of Bartica, this week’s Special Person served at the level of Local Government with excellence. Under the stewardship of Marshall as Mayor, Bartica saw several major accomplishments.

The town located in the central district of Region Seven was poised for development as a green paradise.

The Marshall administration was instrumental in rolling out the Green City initiative in Bartica, the West Indian Housing Scheme Green Park, the Installation of a PV system at the town hall and community centre, the upgrade of the Byderabo dump site, installation of hundreds of street lights, the transformation of the Bartica’s municipal market into a green hub, design, and construction of green spaces at Caribbease Hill, the Bartica Peace sign and green space, the mural in third street and the design and construction of the Golden Beach boulevard.

As he prepares to demit office, Mayor Marshall takes a look back at his tenure with fond memories and satisfaction. In a release issued last Wednesday, Mr. Marshall expressed gratitude for having served the people of Bartica as Mayor for two consecutive terms.

He said, “Humbled I am to have been allowed to serve the people of Bartica. Moreso, I commend the Coalition Administration for firstly making Bartica one of four new towns and secondly, supporting my candidacy during both the 2016 and 2018 Elections. I never took that opportunity for granted and will forever be grateful for the collective support that allowed me to create and be a part of history.”

Further, Marshall said, “Commendations are also extended to the present Administration for their unwavering support through subvention programs and opportunities to network with other municipalities outside of Guyana.”

“It would be remiss of me to not mention my greatest support system-my immediate and extended family who was more than a pillar of strength throughout my tenure in active politics- to you I am eternally grateful,” he added.

HOMETOWN

The soon-to-be former Mayor said too that being the town’s first Mayor is even more of a precious accomplishment for him, given the fact that Bartica is his hometown.

He is the second of four siblings, born in Bartica on the 20th of July, 1980, to Mrs. Elizabeth Marshall and Mr. Godfrey Marshall, a forest officer.

Marshall explained that he grew up in very humble circumstances. He said nevertheless, that his parents and grandparents tried their best to give me a good life.

He said, “I lived with my grandparents throughout my childhood and teenage years. Growing with my grandparents, I believe, has many benefits, some of which are humility, understanding, and a heart for people. These traits have certainly helped me as I serve the office of Mayor.”

Marshall said after completing secondary school, where he was among the high achievers, he was advised to enter the teaching profession.

Heeding that advice, he entered the teaching profession which turned out to be a life-changing experience.

He explained, “Not only was I able to further my studies and transition towards economic independence, but I was also able to experience Guyana outside of Bartica.

After completing training at Cyril Potter College of Education, he returned to teach in Bartica but left a few years later when he was given an opportunity to teach in the Bahamas.

MAYORAL RUN  

All the while, Marshall said his love for politics and community work was growing. He said nonetheless that he never envisioned being the Mayor of Bartica.

In 2016, when I was recommended to head the list of candidates, many people expressed doubt in my ability to handle the job.

Marshall said, “I was confident that my humble beginnings, coupled with my teaching experience and the leadership lessons learned from Dr Myles Monroe while I was in the Bahamas were the uniting forces that would make me stand out from the others. I was subsequently voted in as the first Mayor of Bartica…”

Marshall surmised that over the years, all his experiences were teachable ones.

He admitted that at times the job gets very tedious, but his faith in God allowed him to remain steadfast to purpose and work tirelessly in spite of the challenges that come with the office.

He said nonetheless, the best part of the job is getting things done. I love being in the fields and working on transformative projects.

In addition, Marshall said among the other highlights of his job was meeting with mayors from around the globe.

He said this was also a very fulfilling and inspiring experience.

“Listening to their experiences was like listening to your own situation, but with varied approaches to problem-solving. Whenever we met, be it in Mexico, Panama, Brazil, Barbados, or the USA, it was an opportunity to learn best practices from each other.”

“I love Bartica. I believe it’s one of the best places not only in Guyana and the Caribbean but the world. Therefore, my goal as Mayor was to promote Bartica as a top tourist destination while simultaneously working on our green mandate,” he added.

LEGACY

Even as he relishes his final weeks as Mayor noting there is still so much more to accomplish, Mayor Marshall hopes to leave a lasting legacy behind.

He told the Waterfalls, “As I exit Mayoral Office, I wish to be remembered as a champion of the environment and the Mayor who served all people regardless of race, political affiliation or socio-economic status. God bless the people of Bartica and the people of Guyana.”

Mr. Marshall added, “Now, my work will continue but in a different capacity. Very soon I will be launching an exciting new initiative, called: “The Green Town Foundation”- the focus of which, is, to move towards establishing a new, more sustainable, relationship with nature. As we come closer to the launch date, I will share more information about the Foundation.”

He noted that although he said he is grateful for the accomplishments and support, he received during his term in office, they were not without challenges.

He said, “My main challenge was my perception of persons’ expectations of me. I felt that, as Mayor, I was expected to have answers to our community problems. Further, getting the residents to understand that they have a role to play initially proved to be difficult. For example, the answer to littering is not employing more persons to clean the streets but to have the community understanding they need to stop littering.”

He continued, “The answer to speeding on the road is not placing more speed humps but having persons taking responsibility for their actions and understanding it’s dangerous to speed on our narrow roads. All in all, over time, the council’s message was heard across the community, and our purpose became the community’s purpose. Another challenge, though more personal in nature, but still impactful to my duties was the schooling of my children.

“Both of my daughters, who were born in Linden, attended school in Georgetown. It meant that I would have to travel a lot between Bartica and the city. Many times, I felt I was putting the job in front of my babies, but as time went along, I was able to create a healthier balance between work and being with my family.”

Despite this, throughout his tenure as Mayor, Marshall served as the Christian Education Director of the Baptist Convention of Guyana.

He said, “This opportunity allowed me to network with youth from across Guyana, while I coordinate rallies, retreats, and camps. It was quite a fulfilling experience, and one I looked forward to every year.”

Now that his term is coming to a close, Marshall has decided to take a two-year break from active politics to focus on some personal goals. He said the launch of his pet project, the Green Town Foundation is on top of the agenda.

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• Gifford Eldon, Local Government Elections, Memories, satisfaction, tenure

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