THE councillors of Linden’s Mayor and Town Council passed a no-confidence motion against Town Clerk Janella Bowen during a statutory meeting on Wednesday. The motion was passed by Councillor Deron John and seconded by Councillor Neola Rogers. Ten of the 12 Councillors present at the meeting voted in favour of the motion, while Councillor Lennox Gasper and Councillor Fern Mckoy abstained.

In a statement on Thursday, Deputy Mayor Waneka Arrindell said that the performance and management of the town clerk is of great concern to the council.
“The decision arose out of varying issues that have been occurring over a period of time of which some of the issues have been noted and discussed by the Mayor and Councillors,” said Arrindell.
She alluded to a similar motion being moved by the previous council which she claims also “recognised and elucidated areas in which the town clerk was in- effective by various actions and inactions stymieing the process of this council.”
Councillor Derron John, who served on the previous council, echoed similar sentiments. The mayor and councillors however refused to divulge the details which led to them moving the motion against the town clerk. They argued that it is at the preliminary stage and a correspondence has to be sent to the Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, giving details to back up the recommendation.
The councillors were however quizzed by a reporter who asked whether the law was upheld in passing the motion as Cap 28:01 states that a written correspondence should have been sent to the town clerk at least 90 days informing her of the motion.
Rule 8 of the Standing Order, page 401 of the constitution’s 28:01 states, “Except as hereafter providing a member wishes to move a motion and ask a question shall give notice in writing to the town clerk, but the motion shall not become a subject of discussion and a question shall not be answered until the next ordinary meeting. The notice if not given at a meeting of the council must be delivered to the town clerk at least 90 hours before the meeting at which it is intended to be brought forward.”
In response, Arrindell revealed, “The protocol to move the no-confidence motion against the town clerk was not given in writing; there are some motions that have to be given in writing and some that do not have to be given in writing. That motion was moved on a recommendation by a councillor in a previous meeting which we had to bring to statutory based on a previous recommendation.”
It was made clear that such a motion was based only on an examination of the town clerk’s performance and not as a result of her political affiliation.
Locked out
Meanwhile, Arrindell denied reports that she gave an instruction to have the town clerk debarred from entering her office.
“The council did not debar or lock out Ms Bowen from the office or for performing her duties as town clerk. The attempt to disseminate false information to the public by the town clerk even in this matter is synonymous with the continued attitude and behaviour of this town clerk.”
Meanwhile, this newspaper spoke to security personnel, who revealed that an instruction was given by the corporal not to allow the town clerk to enter the building.
The town clerk however told this newspaper that she sat on a bench in the compound since 07:55hrs, since she was not allowed inside her office.
“Instructions were given. I was very respectful. I would have followed those instructions, hence I am sitting on this bench since 07:55 this morning, [Thursday]” said the town clerk who also revealed that an investigation will be launched into the matter.
The town clerk said that she is currently seeking legal advice on the issue and will be issuing an official statement soon.
“I am at this point going through the course of consulting with the legal aspect of this matter; I want to make sure the legal aspect is correct…. I will continue to embrace the law stringently, as I have been doing all the while. I know that I am on the right track.”
Bowen said that in the interim she is on official duty.