THE position of Town Clerk at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will be filled “very shortly”, according to Minister Norman Whittaker.

Mayor Hamilton Green has long been voicing his dissatisfaction with what he termed the “incompetent” and “unprofessional” behaviour of Acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba, who was appointed to act in that capacity subsequent to a move by the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry to dismiss four senior officers, including former Town Clerk Yonette Pluck, because they were found to be engaging in “improper financial activities for personal gain”.
The M&CC would repeatedly complain to the authorities about Sooba’s behaviour. The council even passed a motion that expressed no confidence in Sooba.
Questioned at a news conference yesterday as to why she has been permitted to remain in the acting Town Clerk position despite repeated calls for her removal, Minister Whittaker said that, apart from the mayor, no one else has come forward to complain about Sooba. He observed that not a single member of the public has written to the ministry to complain about Sooba.
Nevertheless, he said, the vacancies for positions of Town Clerk and Treasurer have been published, and deadline for submission of applications is October 4, 2013.
Local Government Minister Ganga Persaud had said that he has seen very difficult situations that Sooba has had to endure at the hands of the mayor.
He said Mayor Green continues to throw tantrums and mislead persons around the market to agitate for the removal of Sooba, but his ministry has seen that the acting town clerk is doing everything within her power to marshal the City Hall staff efficiently, and that the M&CC has been benefiting effectively from Sooba’s transparent and effective discharge of duties.
The minister opined that Sooba’s success at City Hall is seemingly causing discomfort to the mayor, who seems to enjoy functioning in an environment of unaccountability and lack of transparency, and where he can abuse his authority and power and taxpayers’ resources.