GT Mayor ready to work with Govt for city’s development

…wants to rid division between PPP, APNU Councillors

Newly-elected Georgetown Mayor, Alfred Mentore is seeking to bring a fresh approach to governing and executing the city’s business – one which will shift to bipartisan support and greater collaboration between both Government and Opposition Councillors.
Speaking during a recent broadcast interview, the new Mayor noted that recently-elected People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillors were offered positions on key committees to share their input. Based on the results of the recently-concluded Local Government Elections, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is occupying 19 seats on the Council while the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has 11.
“We’re more magnanimous in our approach to looking at things differently. We offered significant positions to both sides of the aisle so that we can have contribution that is meaningful where the best ideas win and move forward,” he noted.

While recognising that both sides have failed to collaborate over the years in the best interest of the city’s affairs, Mentore is hoping for a turnaround in this approach.
“We’re open to all sides, working with Central Government in delivery service at the level of the city and the level of this administrative arm. My approach will be one of building consensus, building stronger relations with Councillors on all sides. As I believe, bipartisan support and cooperation is very important for the development of the city and nation as a whole.”
“This is the way we should go and this is the way we should approach business and having a new way of treating with matters of the Council and the citizens’ business. They did not place us here because they want us to be divided. They placed us here because they want us to work,” he maintained.
Despite not securing the confidence of his constituency at the Local Government polls, Mentore of APNU was elected to serve as Mayor of Georgetown. Representing Constituency Four (Lamaha Gardens, Newtown, Campbellville, Section K Campbellville & Bel Air Park) in Georgetown, he lost to the candidate for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), Alfonso Fidel De Armas-Archbold by 31 votes.
However, he has served two terms on the City Council and is also the former Deputy Mayor. He had also expressed his support for the livestreaming of all City Council meetings, in the interest of transparency, an idea that was put forward by the PPP.
He was quoted saying, “I personally will support and I’m sure whenever we meet as a Council, we would like to support the livestreaming of these meetings for the civility of these meetings, for the transparency of these meetings…people must understand this Council ain’t got nothing to hide.”
Denise Miller was elected Deputy Mayor. The other Georgetown Councillors are De Armas-Archbold, Tahirih Adams, Odayson Ashby, Bishram Bipat, Jewula Caesar, Aileen Chalmers, Patricia Chase-Green, Kibwe Copeland, Eslyn David, Jason David, Rudolph Dyal, Trowes Ellis, Yvonne Faguson, Dexter Forte, Gregory Fraser, Troy Garraway, Winston Harding, Clayton Hinds, Mohamed Isfehani, Steven Jacobs, Robert Maison, Jeffon Muhammad, Leon Saul, Kesha Satimo, Jai Singh, Phagoo Singh, Kyle Solomon and Dion Younge. (G12)