In the absence of the 11 People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councilors, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council today passed a resolution objecting to the seizure and reclassification of 22 of the city’s streets, and agreed to seek advice and to challenge the takeover by the Ministry of Public Works.

The City Council called an emergency meeting this morning, but none of the PPP Councillors showed up for the meeting.

The resolution comes one day after News Source reported that the Government gazetted a Ministerial Order late last week, taking control of 22 streets that were under the control of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council.

Addressing the 30-member Council during an extraordinary statutory meeting this morning, City Mayor Alfred Mentore in rejecting and objecting to the takeover by Central Government, said the Order breaches the Municipal and District Council Act, noting that the Council was never consulted on the issue.

Under the Act, the Council has control over all municipal property including roads, streets, and parks.

“Under Section 301, the Council is responsible for the control, care and management of all streets, and parapets within the city. Any unilateral action to seize or reclassify these streets undermines the lawful authority of the council,” the Mayor said.

According to the Mayor, there is no provision in the Act that allows the Central Government to assume control of Municipal roads without due legal process. 

Mayor Mentore warned that the “illegal” takeover of the streets is intended to undermine the City Council, adding that it has far reaching implications.

“Removing roads from Council’s control may impact budgeting, maintenance, planning and revenue collection, and that in itself would impact significantly on how the council does its business. It also speaks of having the Government operating as a parallel council to treat with matters of the city. It also speaks to if we do not stand firm and treat with these matters, is the Government next going to say, well all these streets that we take from you, well we are going to start pick up the rates and taxes. These are things that could happen and these are things that we have to stand against,” the Mayor said.

The Mayor said while the Central Government has assisted in the past with the repair of City streets, that does not give it the authority to take control of streets in the City.

“Repairs do not confer ownership or authority. The fact that Government may have repaired and maintained some of these roads, and these are not roads that they have maintained only in the city. Previous Governments – the APNU+AFC Government – done this through the length and breadth of Guyana, and so, because you do a lil repair to me house, that does not confer ownership to you,” the Mayor said. 

He said the Council cannot stand idly by and allow the takeover to progress, emphasizing that it must be challenged.

APNU Councillor Lelon Saul said the Ministerial Order is a direct affront to the principles of Local governance and participatory democracy. According to him, it would cripple the Council’s ability to generate revenues in a number of areas.

“The Central Government has unilaterally reclassified these thoroughfares without a whisper of consultation. But what is the motive? Let us ask it plainly: if the Mayor and City Council do not currently generate enough revenue to maintain these roads, and the central government has for years been executing this role in practice, why is the resolution to legally strip us of jurisdiction rather than to empower us? The declaration strikes at the very financial foundation of this Council. These thoroughfares were not merely roads, they were revenue-generating assets. With jurisdiction removed, we stand to lose critical income streams,” Councilor Saul warned.

And Deputy Mayor, Denise Miller, said the seizure and reclassification of the streets mark the start of a hostile takeover of the City by Central Government.

The Town Clerk had warned that it would be unfair to move a motion without prior notice, but the Mayor and Councillors indicated that it was a resolution being put on the floor. According to that resolution, the Council will formally write the Government on the issue, even as it seeks legal advice. 

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