Mayor Ubraj Narine has defended his decision last week to allow a motion for the City Council to proceed to fill several vacancies without the needed approval of the Local Government Commission (LGC).
Councillor Patricia Chase-Green, who is Narine’s predecessor, voiced her disapproval about the decision in a letter to this newspaper, where she pointed out that the motion was improperly placed before the Council and that it sought to usurp the authority of the LGC while embroiling officers in an illegality. It was passed by a majority.
Asked to respond to Chase-Green’s arguments, Narine did not address her concerns but instead stated that while she has her view, the administrator is to follow whatever decision the council makes. He also charged that Chase-Green is in no position to point fingers at the Council due to what occurred while she was at the helm of the council.
He also cited the installation of parking meters across Georgetown, which he said was done overnight without proper research or consultation under her mayorship.
Narine said that the vote was done and the majority ruled, while adding that it is now up to a court to determine if the motion was illegal or not.
The decision, he said, would be accepted by the council.
Chase-Green, in the letter, had said a motion to suspend the Standing Orders to discuss a letter of reply from the Local Government Commission to the appointments of a Town Clerk, City Treasurer, Deputy City Engineer, Legal Officer and others, was put to the council and carried.
Chase-Green continued by explaining that Councillor Heston Boswick then moved another motion to encourage the Council to go ahead with the appointments without the required approval of the statutory body responsible for such appointments and also to instruct the Town Clerk (ag) and the Human Resources Manager (ag) to write and issue appointment letters to the candidates selected by a special committee to fill the vacancies.
The letter noted that the motion was improperly before the House according to the provisions of the Municipal and District Councils Act, and that even if the motion was in order, it would still be considered improper given that the Council does not have the power to appoint. “According to the Local Government Commission Act 2013, the Commission has powers to approve or disapprove the notice, by the Council, to appoint any officer to office at the municipality,” she explain-ed.
Stabroek News was informed that the former Local Government Commission’s tenure ended as of October 22nd, 2020.
