Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
City Hall eyes Parking Meters comeback
…as Government takes control of revenue-rich streets
(Kaieteur News) – Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore has warned that City Hall could revive the controversial parking meter system as a fallback revenue measure, following central government’s sweeping takeover of key city streets- a move he says threatens to cripple the municipality’s financial lifeline.
Speaking during an interview on the NewsSource’s programme – Sources on Sunday, Mentore said the move to reclassify roads as public infrastructure under central government control threaten key income streams traditionally managed by the municipality. He explained that many of the affected streets host businesses and other assets that currently contribute rates and taxes to the council. According to the mayor, it may only be a matter of time before central government begins collecting those revenues, effectively cutting the M&CC out.
City Mayor, Alfred Mentore
“Next thing you hear, we start talking about our markets, or where we have those markets,” he noted, warning that the implications could extend beyond roads to other municipal responsibilities.
He also pointed to the potential impact on national events such as Mashramani, reminding that the council has always managed the allocation of vending spots, sanitation, and overall upkeep of event spaces. “So, there are a number of issues we have to think about. We also have to understand the issue of Mashramani itself, where, if you have the Mashramani event…these have always been our responsibility of the council to deal with the Mashramani, the marking of the spots, the treating of it, and the cleaning up of the general place,” he said.
Mentore further raised concerns about billboards located along the affected roadways, questioning what will happen to the revenue currently collected by the city. He argued that the government’s actions appear to be economically motivated and aimed at undermining the municipality’s financial base. “This is an economic activity… to affect our ability to earn,” the mayor asserted.
Parking meters
Addressing future revenue plans, Mentore referred to the stalled parking meter project, which is currently in arbitration due to previous contractual challenges. He said once resolved, the council intends to revisit parking meter implementation in central Georgetown to address congestion and generate income.
However, the mayor made it clear that he is unwilling to negotiate with central government for control of spaces traditionally managed by the council. “I’m not prepared to do that. The roads have been with us. They will remain with us. We will work through the courts and our legal team to have these orders removed and ensure the matter is dealt with fairly.”
His comments come amid escalating tensions between City Hall and the government over the reclassification of major roadways. On March 31, it was reported that government had expanded its takeover by gazetting an additional 35 streets on March 24, adding to the 22 already brought under its control earlier in the month.
Those newly listed roads include Fourth Street (Alberttown), Durban Street, Homestretch Avenue, Independence Boulevard, Main Street, Water Street, Quamina Street, and the Avenue of the Republic, among others.
Earlier, a March 21, 2026 gazette order signed by Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill transferred several major commercial corridors including Regent Street, Robb Street, Camp Street, and Lamaha Street into central government control. These areas are widely considered critical to the city’s revenue base.
The M&CC has strongly condemned the move, describing it as an act of “bullyism” intended to financially weaken the municipality. In a prior statement, Mentore said the decision represents “a calculated act of political intimidation and overreach, designed to destabilise the municipality and silence the voices of the people of Georgetown.”
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