| – Claims financial problems politically basedThe municipal statutory in session yesterdayThe administration of the Georgetown municipality has made it public that it has been breaking the law. This was accentuated by City Mayor Hamilton Green when he and councillors of the Georgetown municipality met for the statutory meeting yesterday.The Mayor was at the time sharing his concerns about an article published in this newspaper that revealed that Acting City Treasurer, Andrew Meredith, would usually delay the payment of deductions such as NIS and PAYE in order to garner sufficient funds to pay salaries.Personnel Officer, Paulette Braithwaite, had made the remarks at a meeting which was held in the municipal Concert Hall last Friday.The meeting was streamlined by the Town Clerk, Mrs Yonette Pluck-Cort,Jerseys Wholesale, Braithwaite and Public Relations Officer, Royston King. It was intended to address concerns from staffers as it relates to the entity’s inability to pay salaries on time.The Personnel Officer highlighted at the meeting that because of the unwavering financial crisis at City Hall, the Acting City Treasurer has for a number of months been forced to delay the payment of the necessary deductions workers’ salaries attract.She disclosed that the Acting Treasurer would usually pay the workers their net salaries.Braithwaite had however, acknowledged at the forum that the course of action is incorrect and may be discontinued as early as this month.And should this be the case, she said that salaries will not be payable until the municipality is able to raise sufficient funds.However, she noted that Meredith had expressed concerns that failure to pay the deductions immediately could result in some difficulties in the long run,Cheap NHL Jerseys, thus his intent to cease the practice.Braithwaite had also noted that although the Acting Treasurer had been incorporating the delay approach, he would usually make the payments to the respective entities to which deductions are due when additional monies are received.But according to the Mayor yesterday,Cheap NFL Jerseys, “I am appalled that there is no wisdom in these three officers who addressed the staff in helping them to understand what the problem really is.” The Mayor in disbelief questioned the Town Clerk whether the newspaper article was indeed accurate, to which she responded in the affirmative.Pluck-Cort went on to explain that the statements made in relation to the non-payment of the deductions “is not something that is not known by council. At several meetings this council has indicated that these deductions are not made on time.Those statements were indeed made and they are accurate and this council is aware of that,” said a defensive Pluck-Cort.According to her, the response to the question came as a result of a question asked by an employee. She added that the Personnel Officer truthfully responded in order to have the staff understand the scenario in which the municipality operates.Mayor Green, however, interjected, to stress that “the Town Clerk hasn’t got the right because she is a public servant and the ability to deal with political issues is for the Mayor. And since our problem is not new,NFL Jerseys Wholesale, the Town Clerk should have called the Mayor and other officers to explain to the staff what they ought to know.”The Mayor recounted that the Town Clerk had informed him of the staff meeting at 16:01 hours on the day prior to its hosting, even as he opined that he should have intervened at that stage.According to him, the municipality has for several years been making the point that the basis of “our woes and our difficulties is the fact that the council is short of and is being starved of funds. I have made the point publicly and privately that the genesis of the problem is political,Jae Crowder Jersey,” Green asserted.He further emphasised that he, in spite of everything, is the elected person to lead the council for better or for worse even as he promised to seek carefully the influence by some set of persons.Green also expressed his concern that at the meeting on Friday, workers were advised to vend in order to make up for the delayed payment of their salaries. But according to Pluck-Cort, the suggestion was made because the administration of the municipality has the welfare of the staff at heart.“The Personnel Officer sought to advise the staff because we are faced at the municipality with a situation that is not unique. We are facing the effect of the Global Financial meltdown,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping,” Pluck-Cort noted.Sharing the Mayor’s sentiments, Councillor Patricia Chase-Green said that she was appalled when she read the statements made by the administration.“How could the Town Clerk or the Personnel Officer say that officers must put out trays and help themselves? Instead I would have expected the administration would have said to the staff you need to get down to more work, let us co-operate.”She said that the advice to vend comes at a time when the municipality is trying to avoid street vending, adding that the administration’s decision could condone the transformation of the municipality into a “little mall.”According to Mayor Green, “You don’t have to tell a person to supplement his salary; that is a natural thing that happens in this society. So when you tell them to vend you are saying do a little more than what you are already doing or not to come to work as you ought.”He cautioned, however that further discussion about the statements made at the staff meeting should be addressed at another forum. |
