Town Clerk tells City Hall workers to brace for delayed salaries

Scores of workers as the Georgetown Mayor and City Council were told on Monday that their salaries could be delayed for several days, if not weeks, as the power struggle continues at the municipality.

The notice of late payment was issued by Town Clerk (ag) Candace Nelson whose appointment Mayor Ubraj Narine continues to reject.

In addition to the late payment, Nelson also warns that the provision of certain essential municipal services to local communities may be disrupted. This is a direct result of an anticipated delay in payment of wages and salaries to the council’s employees.

On her appointment to the position of Acting Town Clerk, by the Local Government Commission, Nelson said she wrote Republic Bank and notified its management of those changes. In that letter, the Town Clerk requested the necessary and corresponding changes to the signatures of the council’s accounts.

Subsequently, Mayor Narine wrote the bank and instructed its management to retain the old signatures of Sherry Jerrick, who has been reverted to her substantive position as Assistant Town Clerk, and John Douglas, City Treasurer (ag) who is on vacation leave, Nelson said in the statement.

“This is unprecedented as it is the administration that has the statutory responsibility to communicate with the bank and related institutions. Neither the Mayor nor any Councillor is a signatory to the accounts of the City Council. The Act, Chap 28:01, does not confer on the Mayor as an individual the authority to write and instruct the bank or any institution for that matter,” the statement noted.

According to Nelson, it appears that the Mayor’s letter caused the bank to sustain the old signatories to the accounts. As a result, Nelson said she cannot move forward with the payroll within the agreed time to pay workers.

The Town Clerk (ag) has since informed the Minister of Local Government and Regional Development and the Chairman of the Local Government Commission.

Nelson assured that steps are been taken by the ministry and the commission to resolve this issue in the shortest possible time.