Holland wants bigger stipends for mayors
From L-R: Guyana Communities Ministry Special Projects Officer, Roger Rogers; Mayor Yoland Jno Jules (Dominica); Mayor Carwyn Holland (Guyana); Mayor Gifford Marshall (Guyana), Mayor Donovan Mitchell (Jamaica); and Mayor Darren Bradley (Belize)
From L-R: Guyana Communities Ministry Special Projects Officer, Roger Rogers; Mayor Yoland Jno Jules (Dominica); Mayor Carwyn Holland (Guyana); Mayor Gifford Marshall (Guyana), Mayor Donovan Mitchell (Jamaica); and Mayor Darren Bradley (Belize)

…T&T forum puts spotlight on funding for municipalities

MAYOR of Linden and President of the Guyana Association of Municipalities (GAM) Carwyn Holland says it is about time the mayors’ stipend be increased from the meagre $15,000 where it currently stands.

Holland is currently attending a three-day conference of the Caribbean Association of Local Government Authorities (CALGA) in Trinidad and Tobago. The forum discussed among other things adequate funding for local government systems. Holland told the Guyana Chronicle that with respect to funding and capacity-building, Guyana has made progress in recent years. “We have seen a greater increase in subventions for municipalities from 2016 and there has also been capacity-building and support with equipment from the Ministry of Communities,” Mayor Holland explained. He said too that GAM also welcomes the budgetary allocation by government for the facilitation of a countrywide valuation of properties to bring property values up to date, primarily those in municipalities. Unlike Trinidad’s current system where no property taxes are collected, the municipalities here depend heavily on the collection of rates and taxes to execute their mandates. These revenues complement the annual subventions given by the government.

Mayor Holland, however, believes that more can be done for the mayors, many of whom give yeoman service to their municipalities. He said stipends given to mayors who work on a 24-hour basis leaves much to be desired. “Mayors have families and a monthly stipend of $15,000 or whatever small token is given cannot suffice for mayors with families to care for. The thrust of the old system for mayors offering full service being persons of good financial standing can no longer stand in today’s local government systems, where youths or young people are being asked to take part,” he explained.

According to him, in other Caribbean territories, the mayors are well taken care of for the service they provide through the provision of concessions and other benefits. “This is still a dark spot in Guyana’s system,” he posited.

That aside, the GAM President said Guyana can learn from other successful local government models for development being spearheaded by sister states in the region such as the “Municipal Bond” successfully implemented by Mayor of Belize City, Darren Bradley.
A municipal bond is a debt security issued by a state, municipality or county to finance its capital expenditures such as the construction of highways, bridges or schools. These bonds are usually exempt from most state and local taxes, making them attractive.
Mayor Holland also used the opportunity to express his appreciation to Government for the revival of local democracy in the country, and the opportunity it provides. “I agree that for years the local governance system was dysfunctional in Guyana, but there have been great efforts by the new administration to address it over the past two years and that started with the holding of LGE in 2016. GAM’s inactivity over the years has also pushed us to aggressively re-engage the Caribbean body to renew our membership and that is a great step in keeping with our local mandate to be fully reintegrated with the institutions that drive LGOs across the Caribbean,” he explained.

It was noted too that GAM successfully got Guyana onto the executive body of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum with Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan being nominated for one of two ministerial spots on the board. GAM is now working to have two representatives sit on the regional body in accordance with its constitution for greater representation.

Like Mayor Holland, GAM Vice-President and Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall said the conference provided a platform for the sharing of best practices. These best practices, he emphasised, can help to strengthen local government organs. “This forum is an ideal opportunity for us to learn from each other and adapt best practices and of course go back to our municipalities and empower the people, because we believe in strengthening the communities,” Mayor Marshall posited.

He said once local leaders are empowered, they in turn will empower their constituencies and the domino effect will result in improved communities. “Once constituencies have effective representation through their reps, no constituency will be left behind,” he told this newspaper.

Marshall and Holland were accompanied by the Ministry of Communities Special Projects Officer (Planning) Roger Rogers. They are expected to return to Guyana today following the end of the two-day conference which started on Saturday. Apart from Guyana, the CALGA conference was attended by local government officials from Trinidad, Belize, The Bahamas, Jamaica and Dominica.

Meanwhile, established since 1992, CALGA is a not-for-profit organisation that facilitates the further development of local government within the Caribbean Region with support from the European Union. Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle from Port of Spain, CALGA’s second Vice President Anthony Roberts said among critical issues discussed was that of funding. “Different local government bodies within the Region are taking different approaches to this issue and it is important for us to meet and share our experiences from the different approaches. In Trinidad, we are looking to provide a secure source of funding for local government bodies through the collection of property taxes,” Roberts said.

He explained that under the former Trinidad government, the collection of property taxes was halted. The current administration, according to Roberts, is now taking the necessary legislative steps needed to have the collection of property taxes reinstituted, and for it to be collected by local government bodies there. Currently, the municipalities in Trinidad depend solely on government subventions for the execution of their functions. Roberts, who is among three Vice- Presidents sitting on CALGA, said aside from discussing issues, the conference provided an opportunity for the sharing of best practices and solutions to the challenges faced by member states.

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