Local Govt Commission ready to receive complaints

– but warns it will not be stepping out to seek grievances

Even as it tries to secure headquarters from where it can function properly, the newly-constituted Local Government Commission (LGC) is leaving the proverbial door open for those with complaints to bring their issue to the body’s attention.
This is according to the Commission’s Chairman, Mortimer Mingo. In an interview with this publication, Mingo bluntly stated that the entity was not required by law to seek out problems affecting Local Authority Areas, but to act on complaints received.
“The Local Government Commission Act spells out the functions and

responsibilities of the Commission. We’re not going out there and look for anything. In the various municipalities, [Neighbourhood Development Councils] NDCs and the [Regional Development Councils] RDCs. Whatever issues are brought to us, the Commission meets as a collective, looks at those issues, and investigates where an investigation is needed.”
“As you know it is a newly-appointed commission. We have only had one meeting in which we elected the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman. Our first order of business will be to look at a budget. The next thing we have to look at is suitable accommodation. So, basically, those are the things that will be preoccupying (the) time, if you will, of the Commission.”
According to Mingo, they are still looking to secure an office in which to house the Commission. He noted that as a constitutional body, they had prepared a budget which they had submitted to Parliament for consideration. But Mingo also explained that while they did not have an office, persons at the municipalities would still have information on where they could be contacted.
“Once those issues come to us, we will determine how we will handle it. We have

to give the staff it. We are now working out the organisation chart. Based on the organisation chart and the activities of the Commission, we will make a determination of the staffing.”
Speaking on his experience in local government and what he would bring to the position of Chairman, Mingo pointed to the years he spent in the system.
“In terms of my experience that I am able to bring to bear, I was Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council of Region 10 for 10 years. In addition to that, I had experience in Local Government at the level of the municipality of Linden. And so, I think, basically, my knowledge working in that arena would have put me in good stead to make a meaningful contribution towards the Commission,” he related.

Problems
Mingo sought to stress that all issues in the different areas would have to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. The Chairman said that this was because each NDC or RDC had its own peculiarities.
“In local government, each NDC (or RDA) has its own peculiarity. In terms of the operation of the NDC, there’s no one size fixes all. So, you have to look at individual NDCs, what are the issues affecting the functioning of those NDCs, and if there is a need for intervention coming out of a process – bring it to our attention, then certainly we will look at that particular NDC.”
There are a number of controversies in the local government system which have been in the public domain for some time. One such issue is reports that in some local authority areas, officials are being appointed without any vacancy being advertised. In addition, there have been reports that young, qualified applicants are being overlooked in favour of others.
The recent case of the sexual abuse of a minor in the Georgetown Mayor and City Council’s custody and the subsequent bungled handling of the matter; including the failure of City Hall officials to immediately report the matter to the Police could also attract the attention of the body.
The Commission was sworn in last month, after a lengthy delay. The parliamentary Opposition had named its nominees to the Local Government Commission since last year. However, since the Government did not submit its nominations, this resulted in a deadlock.
One of the first public deadlines that Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan gave for the body to become functional was at a press conference during the March 2016 Local Government Elections. When asked, during the latter part of the month for an explanation, the Minister moved the deadline to the end of June 2016.
In the Budget estimates for 2016, some $30 million was allocated by the Government to the non-functioning Commission. When asked, Bulkan had stated that this was to allow the Commission to operate independently of Central Government.
The Commission is charged with, among other things, control over whom gets appointed as officials in the NDCs and other local authorities. In addition, it would have to approve budgets for the NDCs.
By law, the Commission is to be made up of eight members. The members of the Commission include four nominated by the Government, one by the unions and three nominees by the Leader of the Opposition.
The Commission’s members are Mingo, Clement Corlette, Marlon Williams, Jo Ann Romascindo, Andrew Garnett, former Local Government Ministers Norman Whittaker and Clinton Collymore, and former Georgetown Town Clerk Carol Sooba.