– vows to remain impartial on issues

AT City Hall’s Statutory Meeting on Monday, PPP Councillor Kamla Devi-Ross gained the support of other councillors who were once against her after she challenged acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba’s spending of money which had been budgeted, but not approved, for certain expenditure.

Sooba found herself in the midst of controversy after she bought an executive chair and a suite for her office at the cost of $400,000, which she assured was budgeted for.

She related in a press conference a few weeks ago that the purchase of the chair was necessary, and that the expenditure was budgeted for, therefore the purchase could not be deemed illegal expenditure.

Councillor Devi-Ross is, however, contending that other pressing financial issues at the council need to be addressed. As such, she demanded to be immediately furnished with a copy of the final approved budget allocation for the council, but was informed that her request was not one presented in the agenda, so she could not be in receipt of an immediate answer.

She was, however, urged to write the Town Clerk requesting a copy of the document.

Councillor Ross is also a member of the finance committee. She rejected this proposal, stressing that she is “at a statutory meeting” and could request the documents to be presented. “I have the right to ask any question or for any document to be placed in front of me for verification,” she said, questioning why she should write to the Town Clerk with her request. “We are Councillors, we are not officers; and we are policy makers,” she stressed.

Earlier in the meeting, Ms. Kamla Devi Ross had related to the Mayor and Councillors that “I’m not gonna sit here with no councillor, no one, when I see wrong things doing. It could be whatever, I will stand my ground and I will say what I have to say; it could be whatever.”

She proceeded to lambaste Sooba’s actions of allegedly having two constabulary officers stationed at her home, an act which had been assented to. Ross denounced this act, lamenting that local markets are short of security personnel to man shifts, and therefore the Town Clerk should not have any City Constabulary officer at her house.

This criticism was followed by another on Sooba’s use of the City vehicle, which is allegedly parked at her property.

In an aggressive tone of voice, Ms. Ross expressed that “it is the rule or policy of this council that after use of the vehicle, it must be returned back in the yard. The keys must be lodged with the security constables, and (the) vehicle must be parked on private property.” She was hinting that the acting Town Clerk should not “abuse” the use of the vehicle allocated to her use by the council.

Ross’s actions came much as a surprise to the audience and the entire council body, as she is usually the one representing Sooba’s interest before the Council.

Ross had, only recently, boasted to this publication that she was representing the interest of Sooba after she had “refused to allow bullyism to prevail.” She was referring to the actions of some of the now supportive Councillors and Deputy City Mayor Patricia Chase-Green.

At a statutory meeting held a few months ago, Devi-Ross had told this newspaper that Sooba had arrived at the meeting to find PRO Royston King occupying her seat. As such, she (Ross) had placed another chair in front of the one he was occupying so the meeting could commence. Upon seeing this, Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Green had reportedly advanced to Sooba and had grabbed the microphone and Town Clerk designation tag which had been placed on the desk that Sooba was using. This precipitated a scuffle between Ross and Chase-Green, as Ross claimed she “refused to allow bullyism to prevail.”

Councillor Ross had then admonished the council, “You can’t ridicule the Town Clerk just like that! How dare you all do that? You all playing bully! You can’t bring anyone and do as you like! They appeal the case, wait until the decision is finished! Why is it that you are jumping the gun?!”

(By Ravin Singh)