Junior Garrett is City Hall’s Finance Chairman

- in spite of alleged involvement in laptop fraud  

Alleged involvement in a laptop computer fraud at City Hall did not deter Councillors from electing Junior Garrett as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
His election on Monday during Mayor and City Council’s Statutory Meeting reaffirms Councillors’ disbelief of his involvement in the fraud and their confidence in his ability to manage finances effectively.
Last month, it transpired that Garrett had signed a payment voucher for the purchase of a laptop computer from a fictitious company. Consequently, Mayor Hamilton Green had requested the Town Clerk to launch an investigation in all Garrett’s transactions.
Garrett began acting as Finance Chairman following the hospitalization of Robert Williams in December. He continued acting as the Chairman after Williams passed away.
At a press briefing to clear the air on Garrett’s fraud allegations Deputy Mayor, Patricia Greene, and other Councillors expressed confidence in him.
According to Public Relations Officer, Royston King, Garrett served in the capacity of Vice-Chairman of the committee for eight years. The position of Chairman became vacant after the demise of the late Deputy Mayor, Robert Williams, who held the position for 13 years.
He noted that the Finance Committee is a Statutory Committee of the Council.  Its terms of reference include monitoring and evaluating the performance of the City Treasurer’s Department; and providing guidance and general direction on matters of income and expenditure of the Mayor and City Council.
Garrett and Committee members will also be responsible to monitor and evaluate the budget which he crafted and presented to the public earlier this year. Other responsibilities include the need to scrutinize the development and implementation of projects and the effective provision of identified services and products in relations to budgeted provision.
King said that at the same meeting, the former Mayor of Georgetown, Mr. Ranwell Jordan, was unanimously elected, by full council, as the Chairman of Markets and Public Health Committee.
The main purpose of Committees is to make recommendations to full Council on critical issues that will affect the City of Georgetown. The committee also acts as a mediator between full council and citizens.
There are nine committees: Finance Committee, Personal and Training Committee, Markets and Public Health Committee, City Works Committee, Legal Affairs Committee, Social Development Committee, International Relations Committee, Information Technology and Investment and Development Committee.