Dear Editor,

It would be inappropriate for me to deal with the contents of a report which appeared in the centre page of Stabroek News’ edition of July 24, referring to a report Ms Beulah Williams sent to the Auditor General and forwarded to the press by the council’s Public Relations Officer.

I have today written the Auditor General to point out the absurdity of this correspondence, that it is a unilateral approach, without the knowledge of the Mayor and Councillors of Georgetown.

Further and of some concern the Town Clerk claims to speak on behalf of the officer corps. This may not be surprising in some instances since the improprieties identified by the Auditor General concerned certain senior officers.

Interestingly, the Town Clerk was afforded an opportunity to reply in writing to the draft report of the Auditor General dated May 23, 2008. She was asked to reply by June 6, 2008, but requested to make an oral presentation. Her questioning of the methodology of the Auditor General is, of course, another matter, save to note that the Auditor General’s report was directed to the Mayor and Councillors, who originally made the request for his intervention, because of concerns the council had over a long period.

The impropriety of the Town Clerk, Ms Beulah Williams writing to the Auditor General directly and using the council’s letterhead and signing while she is on administrative leave raises further issues of protocol and  propriety; to have this matter in the media further exacerbates a very worrying situation.

Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green, JP
Mayor