Dear Editor,
I write with a profound sense of disappointment and outrage over the Georgetown City Council’s recent decision to pass a motion reducing rates and taxes for political parties, despite vehement objection and rejection from PPP/C Councillors. This self-serving decision represents a gross misalignment with the needs of ordinary citizens, who, unfortunately, continue to bear the brunt of the council’s financial mismanagement.
The extent of the city’s financial woes has been well documented in the public domain. For years, the citizens of Georgetown have endured the consequences of inadequate garbage collection, substandard drainage, poor infrastructure, and other essential services enshrined in Chapter 28:01.
It is essential, then, to examine the passage of this most reprehensible policy through this lens. As of September 2023 (the last period for which I have any information), the City’s revenues amounted to $1.51 billion ($2.55 billion was budgeted) versus $1.55 billion in expenditures. This year, employment costs alone have been pegged at $1.2 billion.
In comparison, $519.1 million has been allocated for city maintenance and $299.3 million for capital expenses. Alarmingly, the City has not spent a dollar on capital expenses as of July. Thus, it is clear that once again, the City will face a significant shortfall of funds – severely hampering its ability to provide essential services to the citizens.
Editor, during his budget presentation, Finance Committee Chair Lelon Saul emphasised the urgent need to aggressively pursue defaulters and delinquent ratepayers, even suggesting parate executions. It is, therefore, deeply troubling that the PNC Councillors, led by Messrs Mentore and Saul, have chosen to bully this most reprehensible policy through.
The question arises: Why ? Perhaps I can answer using Mayor Mentore’s own words: “All political parties do have to go and beg for money at the end of the year to campaign for this and campaign for that. They don’t have the money as a corporate body or any institutional entity to be able to do this.”
In other words, both the Mayor and the Finance Committee Chair seek to prioritise the needs of their party above the needs of the citizens they were chosen to represent – a stark example of the kind of irresponsible, self-interested governance that the PNC is intent on pursuing.
Editor, I am also concerned about this issue’s apparent lack of media coverage. If the PPP/C were the ones seeking special treatment at the expense of the residents of Georgetown, major newspapers like Stabroek News and Kaieteur News would undoubtedly have published several scathing editorials by now. Their obvious bias notwithstanding, I urge these newspapers to investigate and report on this issue, ensuring the public is informed and empowered to engage in meaningful discourse.
Finally, I want to assure the citizens of Georgetown that my fellow PPP/C councillors and I will do everything in our power to ensure that this odious policy is never implemented. We recognise our responsibility to every one of you, and we will not stand by while decisions are made that serve only the interests of a select few at the expense of the many. We urge you to stand with us. Our commitment is to you—the people of Georgetown. We will continue to fight for policies that prioritise your well-being, enhance the quality of life in our City, and restore Georgetown to the garden city it once was—a place of pride, beauty, and prosperity.
Sincerely,
Alfonso De Armas
PPP/C Councillor
