TOWN Clerk Carol Sooba, of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC), is not likely to be removed from office, despite a majority vote of no-confidence by city councillors who turned up at a recent statutory meeting.

Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker, told the Chronicle yesterday that this course of action is not “likely”, because Sooba had committed no offence that warrants her removal.
Whittaker maintained that the authority to appoint or discipline an officer rests with the Local Government Minister, hence the council can only make a recommendation.

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION
The no-confidence motion, moved by Councillor Monica Thomas and seconded by Councillor Gregory Fraser, stated that the Local Government Minister had installed Sooba as Town Clerk last July 24 without her having the appropriate qualifications to act in this position. Since her appointment, the motion said, Sooba has shown that she lacks training, knowledge, competencies, professionalism, and human relations’ skills.
It added that council has received numerous complaints about Sooba’s “unprofessional behaviour” which has been affecting relationships within the municipality.
According to the motion, the Town Clerk has been attempting to usurp the authority of the Council by dealing with policy matters that should be processed by the Council through its committees and statutory meetings.
The motion charged that Sooba’s unprofessional behaviour has placed the Council in an embarrassing position, rendering it unable to deliver on its statutory mandate.
The Council can no longer accept this “untenable” situation, which is affecting its relationship with stakeholders and eroding public trust and confidence, the motion said.
Fourteen persons voted in favour of the motion, but five voted against. There was one abstention.

SOOBA’S CONTENTION
Sooba is contending that the motion was moved because councillors could not get their way with certain interests, such as with pensions and gratuity that they had included in the budget for $15M.
She said the councillors who moved the motion are not aware of their roles, and that they have certain interests that she cannot satisfy.
According to her, many of them who requested pensions and gratuity in the budget are upset that she took those out of it. There is no provision for those in the law, she disclosed.
“Whatever goes into the budget must have legality. I can’t take the tax- payers’ money and give it to them.”
Apart from pensions and gratuity, for which the councillors had set aside $15M in the budget, Sooba said there are many other similar interests that she had refused to grant.
“I’m not a town clerk that would compromise and break any law. I can’t budge. All of them want something out of this poor Town Clerk,” she offered.
Sooba said the money that goes into the Council has to cover so many other important things, such as garbage disposal and cleaning of the streets.