Mayor Waneka Arrindell and her Deputy, Wainewright Bethune, were both re-elected on Tuesday to serve the Linden Mayor and Town Council.
Re-elected: Mayor Waneka Arrindell and her Deputy, Wainewright Bethune
The two, who were re-elected unopposed, will now serve a third term in office. Additionally, the Council’s Finance Committee will also remain the same. In an invited comment following the election, Arrindell said that it was truly an honour and privilege to be re-elected, as she indicated that she now has the opportunity to do more for the community.
“My desire is that as a Council we’ll work together for the betterment of the township, for the betterment of our citizens and to truly portray Linden to the rest of the world…so that we can be able to bring the much-needed investment to the residents,” she stated.
She noted that the Council has, over the years, been trying to increase its revenue collection and as such, is currently working along with the Central Housing and Planning Authority to hand over several new housing schemes, which do not yet fall under the purview of the municipality.
This, she added, should be possible within the new year. She further outlined plans to rethink and readjust operations at the Kara Kara toll booth as well as to take a look at rates and taxes owed to the Council and to find workable solutions for residents.
Arrindell said that the Council will also seek to have residents more informed of what is happening within the municipality.
Meanwhile, Bethune, speaking after being re-elected, said his sole purpose continues to be to serve the people regardless of the capacity he is in.
He said the aim is now to continue to execute already established plans more efficiently. The Deputy Mayor further made calls for a more disciplined workforce as well as for Councillors to be more actively involved both within the Council and community.
Bethune also pointed to the need for the Council to keep the general public more informed of its activities as he noted that most of the complaints received are that the “Council is not doing anything”. In this regard, he said that while the Council has been doing a lot, its public relations is very poor.
