Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 29, 2017 News
By Enid Joaquin
Former IMC Chairman Orrin Gordon has added his voice to calls for salaries to be paid to Mayors.
Linden Mayor Carwyn Holland recently made a similar appeal.
Gordon said that as a private citizen of Region Ten, he would like to “forcefully” support the Mayor of Linden’s call for salaries to be paid to Mayors instead of the meager $15,000 stipend they receive. He added that the issue of remuneration had been raised incessantly in the past, but got nowhere because the past administration did not care about Local Government!
Gordon declared that the substantive issue, is that chapter 28:09 which is basically act 12 of 1980 section 9:1 says that mayors, deputies, Regional chairmen and vice and chairmen of NDC’s should be full time people with pay.
“So I want to emphasize that, because that’s most important.”
He said that the issue though raised before was never addressed, because at the time there was no deliberate desire, or political will, to have these various organs operate in an independent manner.
“I essence although the act as inumbrated in 1980 did promulgate and brought the RDC’s into existence, and at the same time the RDC’s began to operate with regional chairmen and vice chairmen and being in office full time and being paid, it did not filter down to the NDC’s and municipalities.”
“So my support for the statement made by the Mayor that the demands are extremely heavy, and it is only right and fair- and I am adding my voice very strongly behind what he is saying, because I know this for a fact.
The responsibilities are onerous and it is only fair that they be paid for the work they do.”
These are young people, a lot of them are young people, and we’ve been asking young people to come to the fore and to be involved in local government. They are in their prime of their lives, and this is the most productive part and time of their life. They have their families to take care off – now I want you to tell me, how is it that you expect them to operate in an environment – and like in my case, where you basically operate for over a decade, so how is it that you’re expected to do that (take care of family) without a supportive financial structure in place.”
So I exhort all concerned, the Minister of communities, and cabinet to ensure that these Mayors and deputies are being compensated – and not that fifteen thousand dollars per month story. We now have three more (mayors) and it’s only fair that these officers are being taken care of properly.
How do we rationalize paying mayors and deputies over the past twenty three years to date a meager fifteen thousand dollars per month”.
Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland, had made calls, last Friday, at the Municipal Conference 2017, for Guyana’s nine municipal leaders to be paid a salary and not a stipend.
Holland explained that they are all of the belief that the inadequate sum of $15,000 for mayors is not enough.
Being a part of the local government drive, mayors, councillors and overseers are full-time positions which demand one’s unequivocal integrity and unreserved commitment, Holland had noted.
He explained that young individuals make up the local municipalities. Many have young families to take care of, as well as other responsibilities. The nine municipal bodies are at “the forefront of local democracy at community level.” That is a profound responsibility, Holland stated.
He had acknowledged that all councillors are currently constrained to maintain jobs outside their council responsibilities in order to support themselves and families. Holland added that it has become blatantly evident that the responsibilities of the aforementioned offices require a full time commitment, which is not possible without added compensation. The roles of councillors can no longer be considered and treated as part time jobs, Holland explained, “We are torn between fulfilling our municipal mandate and honoring our foremost responsibilities to our families.”
It is imperative that our councillors fulfill their function effectively. This would drive development to another level, Holland noted.
In some instances, councillors are precluded from remuneration from times missed at work. Even more unfortunate, some have lost their jobs. According to Holland, this therefore necessitates that councillors be given compensation commensurate with their work done in respective constituencies.
Holland had compared Guyana’s municipality stipends to Caribbean countries municipal bodies’ salary. In Jamaica the lowest paid councilor earns GY$181,000, in Trinidad GY$107,000 and in Brazil GY$829,000. In Guyana the highest paid councillor is the mayor who earns GY$15,000.
Holland called on the government to pay municipalities a wage; if youths are to be involved in the future of local government, compensation must be given.
“Today I petition for my mayoral counterparts to receive full time salaries. Our remuneration as political and administrative leaders of our municipalities is negligible. It has become blatantly evident that the responsibilities of the affirmation offices require a full time commitment that is not possible without added remuneration. All councillors are currently constrained to maintain jobs outside their council responsibilities in order to support themselves and families.
He said that the tussle between vocation and the commitment to the people that they are elected to serve continues to be a point of contention.
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