LGC refuses application for deferral of city treasurer’s suspension

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) and the Local Government Commission (LGC) are at loggerheads over the suspension of the acting City Treasurer, John Douglas, after a bag containing the city’s revenues was found in a vehicle instead of being deposited into the bank, as was required.
The LGC, earlier in the year, recommended disciplinary actions against the city treasurer and several other officers who were found to be guilty of misconduct in light of the incident.

The city treasurer was supposed to proceed on suspension by January 12, 2020 – but to date, he has not yet done so.
Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine had written the LGC, asking for the suspension to be deferred since, according to him, Douglas was needed for the preparation of the budget, which is likely to be completed in March.
In response, however, the Commission said the suspension cannot be deferred. The LGC instructed to acting Town Clerk Sherry Jerrick to ensure compliance.
“[The] Local Government Commission hereby acknowledged your letter dated January 28, 2020, for the subject captioned. The Commission at its statutory meeting held on February 23, 2020, did not accede to the Council to refer the suspension for one month without to Mr John Douglas City Treasurer (ag). The Commission has reformed its decision communicated to you on January 2, 2020. I hereby instruct you Sherry Jerrick Town Clerk (ag) to ensure compliance to its instruction, should you fail to do so, the Commission will have no other recourse, to take appropriate action,” the letter stated.
However, during a recent statutory meeting, Councillor Oscar Clarke contended that it is the M&CC’s call to determine any action against the City Treasurer.
“The Local Government Commission responded respectfully to the letter supporting to deny the Council request. That being so, is left to the Council to determine the further actions based on the fact that the Council has written to the Commission,” Clarke argued.
He further contended: “I don’t understand this, the instruction to you, by the Local Government Commission to the Town Clerk. The Local Government Commission cannot instruct the Town Clerk.”
On June 20, 2019, a bag with revenues collected from Bourda Market was found in a vehicle inside City Hall’s compound. At the time, the bank drop had already been made and the bag with the money was not deposited as was required.
The city treasurer and several other officers were found to be in breach of the standard operating procedures for escorting and dispatching revenues collected.
The LGC had said that the fact that Douglas failed to act on a computer-generated report handed to him and which indicated that the deposit was not made, determined that his action/omission amounted to negligence or dereliction of duties.