SEVERAL leases that were given out by former Town Clerk, Royston King, are now being reviewed, and, in some cases, revoked, as the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) continues to struggle to find relevant documents that support the granting of such leases.
Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, raised the issue at last week’s statutory meeting at City Hall where he disclosed that leases for prime locations have been given out for ‘next to nothing’ even though they are worth millions.

“There are a lot of leases that the then Town Clerk, Royston King leased to several people, which were not brought before the Council,” he told the Guyana Chronicle following the meeting.

“I asked for leases of the Council and we cannot be supplied with any. Where are they? I expect the Local Government Commission should call Mr. King and Ms. Harry Munroe (former Town Clerk acting) to ask them where these documents are. Where are the transports and leases and so forth?” the mayor said.

But when contacted on Tuesday, King told this publication that while he was in office, he acted based upon the powers that were conferred upon him by the Municipal and District Councils Act (the laws governing the City Council).

“I wouldn’t know what is happening there at the Council. I have moved on to other things, so I really don’t know what is happening there,” he said.

Just recently, though, the mayor said the Council was able to get $3.6M a year for a lease that was granted for $200,000 a year, along with a five per cent increase on it every five years. “You got leases in this council for $200,000 for prime, prime areas and those same leases, we revoked. We didn’t recognise them because they never came to Council. People come in and bring in their leases, but we are reviewing them and realising that we can’t accept those kinds of money,” Narine explained.

While some persons are refusing to pay the additional sums, the mayor said no one can tell the Council how to run its business. “The Council is the highest authority of this City; no town clerk can commit this Council. The Council makes decisions for administration to carry out; the town clerk is the chief administrator of the Council. Whatever decision the Council takes, the town clerk ought to execute those.”