THE issue of outstanding monies owed to members of the previous Council was raised at the municipality’s first statutory meeting for 2019.

Councillor Heston Bostwick wanted to find out just when the councillors will be paid and noted that starting off the year in this manner is a recipe for disaster.
Acting Town Clerk Sharon Harry requested that the city treasurer be the one to provide such information.

The Acting City Treasurer, John Douglas, however said he will have to find out and communicate such information to Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Councillor Patricia Chase-Green recommended that Douglas take some time out of the meeting to go and find out, so that he could have provided an answer before the meeting was over.

Chase-Green noted that the councillors are entitled to such payments and that the response given by the senior officers was unacceptable.

Douglas offered that while the intention is to have everyone paid what is due to them, he had not been the city treasurer for the whole of 2018 and hence needed time to sort out the issue.

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Councillor Oscar Clarke, said priority will be given the issue when it reaches the committee.

The City Council has constantly been in a cash-strapped state, with the municipality often being unable to meet their obligations to garbage contractors, and even pay salaries to its workers.

Just a few months ago, workers took to the streets to protest the non-payment of salaries, and the practice by City Hall to deduct monies for NIS, GRA, and other taxes, but not paying the sums over to the respective agencies.