Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 20, 2014 News
The rift between the administrative and executive arm of the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has reached a point where the city’s operators have disassociated themselves from any press conference called by acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba.
In a public missive the municipal body stated, “The Mayor and City Council wishes to disassociate itself from any and all press conferences convened by Ms. Carol Sooba in the name of the Mayor and City Council.”
The most recent press conference was held on Friday in the council chamber. “The embarrassing and vacuous utterances of Ms. Sooba, at such events, are her very personal views; they do not represent the values, thinking or direction of the Council. It is not the way the Council operates.”
Further, Ms. Sooba is not an elected member of the Council; she is an employee of the Municipality and therefore does not have the authority to call any press conference without informing or consulting with the elected representatives of the people of Georgetown.
The Mayor stated that according to the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, Section 8(1), the City Council shall consist of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor and other Councillors and shall have such functions as are vested in it by or under this Act or any other law.
All officers of the City Council must receive their instructions from the Mayor and Councillors – they are the employees. The legitimacy of the duties, responsibilities and functions of all Local Government officers is embedded in the express authority of the Mayor and City Council. Outside of that authority, officers would be acting in their personal capacity and the council will take no responsibility for such actions.
“No properly managed Corporation (the Council is a Corporation) will allow its managers or employees to run around the press and say whatsoever they want about its Chairman and Directors. Yet, this is exactly what Ms. Sooba is doing to the Mayor and City Councillors- the people’s representatives at the local level. It is a very disgraceful situation.”
However, the City Council is a Local Government authority and has the right and authority to provide good governance and manage well, the affairs of the city. The Mayor charged, “The Council will not allow one individual in the person of Ms. Sooba to allow it to fail to fulfill its mandate to its citizens. The Council is making it clear that Ms. Sooba cannot speak for it, on any aspect of its work without its approval.”
“Media houses that report on statements made by Ms. Sooba are reporting Ms. Sooba’s personal views. Such reports should not be placed under the rubric of Mayor and City Council.”
Ms. Sooba is not authorized by the Council to sit in any consultation. Therefore, with respect to the spending of the $500M, she is attending those consultation sessions in her personal capacity. The Mayor and Councillors of the city of Georgetown as a body was neither officially informed nor consulted on the use of that money and the procedures and approaches that will be used to procure equipment and services of contractors to do works in the city of Georgetown.
“The Mayor and Councilors are asking all citizens to pay attention to the unfolding events at City Hall and to say a silent prayer for the restoration of this beloved city of Georgetown.”
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