ACTING Town Clerk Carol Sooba is calling on the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (MLGRD) to assist in resolving several issues regarding the Mayor and City Councilors (M&CC), some of which are recent and others that were on the cards for some time. 

Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Sooba disclosed that recently contractors involved with garbage disposal in popular city areas, namely Pooran Brothers Disposal Service and Morris Archer, had not received payments from August to now.

CEASE OPERATIONS
She added that these two companies ceased their operations as of yesterday in Group 7 (East and West Ruimveldt, La Penitence…) and Group 8 (Queenstown, Alberttown and Newtown) after the failure of the finance councillors to sign the cheques.
Sooba alluded to the fact that since there is currently no chairman for the Finance Committee, as stated by law, “it was required to have two finance councillors of the M&CC to endorse the cheques so that payments could be made.”
This decision by the finance councillors, particularly Gladstone George, not to sign the cheques is absurd and there is no logical explanation for this step being taken by them, said Sooba.
Moreover the councillors also refused to sign vouchers for other important services and expenditures which they have outstanding.

CITIZENS SUFFER
Citizens of the said areas will suffer tremendously in terms of garbage disposal unless the payments to the contractors are made. However, the ministry has been urging the contractors to continue operations for one week until this matter is resolved.
Apart from the payments of the contractors, Sooba added that the compactor trucks in some areas are in need of repairs, but sadly no action to deal with this situation has been taken by the M&CC.

2015 SUBVENTION
Another loss for the M&CC is the yearly subvention which is usually given to them by the MLGRD in order for them to carry out the works under their responsibility.
This loss of $21M, according to Sooba, came about because the Mayor did not sign the budget for 2015, despite the majority of the council agreeing to the budget.
She noted that these are only a few of the issues which are on the table.
“Recently there has been no useful decision taken by the M&CC, therefore making City Hall sink to its lowest ever under the political management, and this is surely of concern not only to her but also the MLGRD,” she disclosed.
In closing Sooba said that immense help from the MLGRD is needed in order to “relieve the crisis created by Mayor Hamilton Green and his Councillors.”

(By Navendra Seoraj)