THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) owes the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) more than $1.8B and wants the power company to write off this debt for them so that they can have a “fresh” start for 2017.

But GPL has a different approach in mind. The company has written to the M&CC threatening to disconnect City Hall and other buildings under its purview if the amounts owed are not met.

A source has told this publication that the power company has since requested a meeting with City Hall officers to discuss the issue. Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Tuesday told reporters that M&CC and GPL can very well exchange cheques since both entities owe each other, but that the ideal thing would be for the latter to write off the sum entirely.

“It’s a history from GEC (Guyana Electricity Corporation) to GPL with them and us. Also with GWI and us – we owe them, they owe us. So we will be in negotiations with them (GPL). If possible, we’re hoping for a write off, so come 2017, we can start fresh,” she said.

The mayor complained that for M&CC to take on the responsibility of the national security lighting in Georgetown would be a heavy burden for the municipality. “We can manage our domestic assets in paying light bill, but to pay the street lighting… If you go at many squatting areas, there are lots of people who have illegal connections and we have to pay that bill.”

Deputy Mayor, at Monday’s statutory meeting, similarly offered that he would like to see GPL playing a greater role in the city.

“GPL occupies our parapets; their poles are on our parapets. GWI (Guyana Water Inc.) also, their pipes are run on our parapets and I don’t know if they pay anything to the council for the use of our parapets. So maybe that’s an area we can focus on.”

Duncan said the best thing would be for M&CC to approach the government for debt forgiveness in this regard. “I would hasten to say that the benefit of the street lamps is not only for the council. The benefit is for every citizen of Georgetown, and we know of recent that safety and security is a major issue. Why should the city council be asked to foot the bill of lighting the city?

“So I would ask that the government forgive us of this debt because it goes back to help the entire national capital city at the end of the day, and it would free up our hands in that regard. It’s one less thing that we will have to think about.”

Meanwhile, City Hall has said it has used up all of its resources and is currently in a desperate cash-strapped state.

“We have used up our monies; now we don’t have any and we are at the end of the year. We are asking the government to assist us because all the works we were doing were done with our money,” the mayor had said.

As such, Councillor Junior Garrett moved a motion at City Hall on Monday seeking Government’s intervention in form of a $600M “bail out” for the municipality. The money is to be used to assist in clearing City Hall’s debts to its garbage contractors; help with payment of wages and salaries; prepare the City for Prince Harry’s visit; and for additional works that have to be done in time for the Christmas season.