At City Council statutory…
THE Treasury Department of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) came under fire, at the last statutory meeting, for taking, on transfer, officers from the Constabulary without any stated criteria. Speaking at the meeting, last Monday in the Council Chamber at City Hall, Councillor Patricia Chase-Green said four ranks were transferred to the Treasury Department recently, including one who was at mid-point.
“To date, the Treasury Department cannot get its act together. How is it possible for the Treasury Department to transfer someone from one point to another?” she questioned.
Chase-Green said the movement would mean that the person’s salary is now far more than he previously received and wanted to know how this was made possible as the Council can hardly meet its wages and salaries obligation.
“All sorts of things are happening in the Treasury Department,” she charged, adding that it is customary to find persons who are employed in one position being moved after a few months.
Mayor Hamilton Green responded that the Treasury Department is in need of more staff to enhance the collection of rates and taxes.
Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry-Munroe said the latest employees are two cashiers and two field officers.
Chase-Green then alleged that the four were not qualified.
Councillor Devi Ross queried why millions of dollars are being paid to a security company when Constabulary ranks could be utilised.
Harry-Munroe replied that the decision to employ the four was taken by the Council at a previous statutory meeting.
Ross rejoined, stating that the two field officers never went out to serve demand notices and should go back to the position from where they came.
URGENCY
“What was the urgency in employing them?” she questioned.
Deputy Mayor Robert Williams said he was advised that there was just one cashier serving four cashier cages.
He claimed it was urgent that the Council serve 28,000 demand notices but, once there was only one cashier, the exercise would have been hindered when those who wished to pay went into City Hall.
Williams said the exercise also includes interviews with property owners who went to rectify their financial situations with the Council and one cashier would not have sufficed.
Personnel Officer Paulette Braithwaite admitted that four persons were admitted to the Treasury Department, including one from the Constabulary and said they were found to be suitably qualified when interviewed by City Treasurer Andrew Meredith.
She said checks were made to ascertain their qualifications.
Chase-Green spoke again, positing that the matter had too much to do with family relationships and speculated on what criteria was used to transfer the individuals.
Green then said a young woman approached him and said she was frustrated because she was in possession of Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) grades and, though she had, initially, applied for a post in the Treasury Department, she was posted to the Constabulary.
He said he advised her to re-apply to the Treasury Department and, when she did, she was accepted.
Continuing the contentious debate, Chase-Green said she was of the opinion that the Mayor had been unaware of the situation but his disclosure about the young woman proved otherwise.