Mayor and LGC Chairman clash over appointment of interim Town Clerk

Mayor Narine maintains that the appointment was done unlawfully, pointing out that the Chairman of the Local Government made the appointment even before any consultation with the other members of the Commission or the City Council.

Mayor and LGC Chairman clash over appointment of interim Town Clerk

The Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine remains unhappy with the appointment of a new interim Town Clerk by the Chairman of the Local Government Commission.

Mayor Narine maintains that the appointment was done unlawfully, pointing out that the Chairman of the Local Government made the appointment even before any consultation with the other members of the Commission or the City Council.  

The Mayor said the Council will continue to reject the appointment.  

“We as Councilors reject and I will not recognize Ms. Candace Nelson as an interim- Town Clerk”, the Mayor said.

The Georgetown Mayor said there is some clear political motive behind the appointment especially since the more experienced and knowledgeable Deputy Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick who was acting in the position was reverted to her substantive position.

“The Local Government Act did not give him such authority to do the appointment by himself”, Narine said.

But the Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Julius Faerber at his own press conference this afternoon defended the appointment of the new interim Town Clerk.

“The decision of the Commission was to have Ms. Jerrick reverted, that is what I said. And, I said subsequently that Ms. Nelson was appointed to act. No, I didn’t say by the Commission but subsequently, she was appointed to act which meant that it was a decision by the Chairman of the Commission and not through the statutory meeting” Chairman Faerber said.

He said he has the authority under the Local Government Commission Act to make the appointment. 

“If we look at the Local Government Commission Act #18 of 2013, and we look at Article 30, power to make rules and regulations and it says that the Commission may make rules and regulation prescribing all matters, which by this Act are required or permitted to be prescribed or which are necessary and convenient to be prescribed for the better carrying out of or giving effect to the provision of this Act and in particular for the procedures of the Commission. So, that is the part of the Act that has given me the authority to prescribe” the Local Government Commission Chairman said.

The City Council is currently engaging its legal counsel on the issue.

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