Interim Town Clerk, Candace Nelson on Monday walked out of City Hall’s Statutory Meeting after Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine indicated that the Council would not recognise or include her in the proceedings.
Nelson would have sought to share her input as the Mayor chaired the meeting, to which he responded, “I do not recognise you. Your words can’t be minuted here because the chair don’t recognise you. I don’t recognise you. You would not be recognised by the chair.”
Nelson was appointed by the Local Government Commission, and Sherry Jerrick who served as Town Clerk was reverted to her previous position. However, the Mayor has since filed legal proceedings before the Chief Justice, challenging her appointment.
With some Councillors holding placards and calling for Nelson’s removal, the interim Town Clerk walked out of the meeting. The Council then appointed Solid Waste Director Walter Narine to take her place for the remainder of the session.
Thereafter, the Council then moved to elect a committee to approve payments and finances for their operation. The Mayor instructed them to do so within 24 hours.
At a recent statutory meeting, workers of the Council protested at the Kitty Market in Georgetown, where a statutory meeting was scheduled to be held. However, Councillors voted in favour of Mayor Narine having the meeting adjourned, as their attempts to remove Nelson were unsuccessful.
Before the meeting commenced, the Mayor and Councillors had said they did not recognise the appointment of Nelson and, as such, they asked her to “step down” to allow the meeting to be chaired by the Deputy Town Clerk, who was given such duties in the past.
However, Nelson wrote to then acting Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick and instructed her to return to her substantive position of Assistant Town Clerk effective from July 28.
The Mayor told Nelson that legal proceedings have been filed before the Chief Justice, challenging her appointment, and he demanded that Nelson leave the meeting. Standing at their seats waving their placards, Councillors shouted at Nelson, “We do not recognise you!”
The interim Town Clerk then informed the meeting that she was not leaving, as her lawyers have advised her that there is no court order restraining her from participating in the meeting.
Chairman of the Local Government Commission, Julius Faerber had shared some insight into the matter a few weeks ago where he stated that the decision to remove Jerrick was a unanimous one.
“That decision was unanimously voted in favour of, and when I said unanimously, there were seven Commissioners who were present at that time, and all seven of them voted in favour of having Ms Jerrick return to her substantive position. That was the situation that occurred,” he had told a press conference.
Faerber had pointed out that the decision to appoint Nelson is in keeping with the authority vested in the Local Government Commission under Sections 12 and 13 of the Local Government Commission Act.
Section 13 (2) states thus: “The Commission shall have power to deal with all matters relating to staffing of Local Government organs, and in particular shall be responsible for employment, transfer, discipline and dismissal of staff.”
