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ANY mention of the City of Georgetown, formerly a shining example of a pristine and well maintained capital, universally known as the Garden City, immediately invokes a picture of a garbage-strewn environment, that reeks of the putrid smell of rot and faeces. It is unbelievable that one will observe refuse of all mix, heavily strewn for example, along that section of the busy Regent Street pavement, a conduit along what used to be the former site of the St Barnabas Church.
The same sordid scenario is described on the opposite pavement, more westward, parallel to the Bourda Cemetery, inclusive of offensive skeletal remains of animals, as is current. Of course, there is the sight of pavement dwellers, not unusual at that section.
One may recall a pictorial of the first scene in a media front page, a while ago. There was even another representation of a section of City Hall compound, in garbage mode in the same media. If the latter condition exists at the centre of the municipality, then heaven help the city!
Surely, any city that is of such an insalubrious condition has to be the victim of a continuous culture of incompetent administration a la Mayor, City Hall, et al. Yet, the longest reigning City Mayor, does not seem to understand this, much less to accept that his administration must be held responsible.
The Mayor’s excuse for his city’s notoriously filthy condition is always the same – ‘There is no money to do the cleansing and other beautification works’.
So many times, central government has rescued his council with financing, to pay striking garbage collectors, so that they can remove the now famous garbage mountains. One must remember former President Jagdeo, even visiting City Hall, for discussions, where one such rescue package was made available. There was even a sum of $120M for the beautification of the city. Of course, this sum was to be accessed at $10M monthly, on condition that a works plan be submitted to the central authorities for scrutiny and approval.
But after a short while, it collapsed, on account of the municipality failing to satisfy the requirements for further access to the monthly tranche.
Unaccountability has been perhaps the major problem of City Hall and its functions. Of course, there have been perennial complaints of citizens not paying their rates and taxes; but equally, too, millions are being collected, and not properly managed/accounted for. The example of the “phantom payroll” of a reported 400 employees is a perfect example of the interesting contradiction that is City Hall’s administration. The fact that the municipality could have sustained this very serious corrupt practice for what seemed to have been a prolonged period, is testimony to the fact that City Hall does receive substantial revenues which can go a long way toward garbage collection and other maintenance works.
Another stark contradiction of maladministration at City Hall, surrounds its practice of contracting out its garbage collection. This particular exercise accrues millions to the Council’s budget. Yet, despite vehicles acquired for it to assume responsibility for this most critical function – the vehicles are currently in a disabled state at the old incinerator compound on Princes Street! Surely, Mayor Green and company cannot be serious in blaming central government for its continuous failures for not maintaining a proper city.
The reality is that every time a lifeline is made available to City Hall, it sinks deeper into a cesspool of corrupt practices. Its management of the city is as putrid as the garbage piles!
The same sordid scenario is described on the opposite pavement, more westward, parallel to the Bourda Cemetery, inclusive of offensive skeletal remains of animals, as is current. Of course, there is the sight of pavement dwellers, not unusual at that section.
One may recall a pictorial of the first scene in a media front page, a while ago. There was even another representation of a section of City Hall compound, in garbage mode in the same media. If the latter condition exists at the centre of the municipality, then heaven help the city!
Surely, any city that is of such an insalubrious condition has to be the victim of a continuous culture of incompetent administration a la Mayor, City Hall, et al. Yet, the longest reigning City Mayor, does not seem to understand this, much less to accept that his administration must be held responsible.
The Mayor’s excuse for his city’s notoriously filthy condition is always the same – ‘There is no money to do the cleansing and other beautification works’.
So many times, central government has rescued his council with financing, to pay striking garbage collectors, so that they can remove the now famous garbage mountains. One must remember former President Jagdeo, even visiting City Hall, for discussions, where one such rescue package was made available. There was even a sum of $120M for the beautification of the city. Of course, this sum was to be accessed at $10M monthly, on condition that a works plan be submitted to the central authorities for scrutiny and approval.
But after a short while, it collapsed, on account of the municipality failing to satisfy the requirements for further access to the monthly tranche.
Unaccountability has been perhaps the major problem of City Hall and its functions. Of course, there have been perennial complaints of citizens not paying their rates and taxes; but equally, too, millions are being collected, and not properly managed/accounted for. The example of the “phantom payroll” of a reported 400 employees is a perfect example of the interesting contradiction that is City Hall’s administration. The fact that the municipality could have sustained this very serious corrupt practice for what seemed to have been a prolonged period, is testimony to the fact that City Hall does receive substantial revenues which can go a long way toward garbage collection and other maintenance works.
Another stark contradiction of maladministration at City Hall, surrounds its practice of contracting out its garbage collection. This particular exercise accrues millions to the Council’s budget. Yet, despite vehicles acquired for it to assume responsibility for this most critical function – the vehicles are currently in a disabled state at the old incinerator compound on Princes Street! Surely, Mayor Green and company cannot be serious in blaming central government for its continuous failures for not maintaining a proper city.
The reality is that every time a lifeline is made available to City Hall, it sinks deeper into a cesspool of corrupt practices. Its management of the city is as putrid as the garbage piles!
