City Council to retrench in 2000 - Green
Mayor Hamilton Green announced yesterday that the Mayor and City Council will reduce its staff in the new year. He said that this was a situation which it could not avoid if it was to pay increased salaries and benefits to its workers. And since the penalty for littering has been increased some 15 persons have paid fines of $3,000 to the courts. Briefing reporters in the Council Chambers at City Hall on a number of issues yesterday, Green said that retrenchment will be based not on years of service or the age of the staff members, but simply on performance on the job. He said that downsizing will in no way reduce the quality of service which the municipality will provide. While, he did not say how many persons are likely to be retrenched, he said that the culling of the staff will help the municipality's serious efforts at providing efficient service. The City Constabulary, the municipal day care centres and the maternal and child health clinics are among those services which have large staff. While Green did not say which areas will be affected, it is believed that some will be among the clerical staff at City Hall. On the issue of littering, Green said that he would like the campaign stepped up but he has so far been unsuccessful in his attempts to have a meeting with Chancellor of the Judiciary, Cecil Kennard, to discuss rigid implementation of the new fines. However, acting Chief Constable, Jagdeo Singh, has reported that since the fines were enforced in August, 15 persons were fined while some 50 persons were charged. The majority of persons charged, he said, had not appeared in court and their bail ranging from $3,000 to $5,000 had been escheated by the magistrate.
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