Sooba gets the boot as Council activates no-confidence motion

Last Updated on Monday, 25 May 2015, 17:43 by GxMedia

FLASH BACK: Town Clerk Carol Sooba and Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase-Greene fighting for control of a microphone.

by Zena Henry

The long rope may have finally come to its end for controversial City Town Clerk Carol Sooba of the Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) prepare to activate their no confidence motion against the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) selected Chief Executive Officer.

As the Council gears for its first Statutory Meeting since the 2015 General and Regional elections two weeks ago, the executives are preparing to send Sooba on administrative leave. The majority of Councilors would have voted in favour of no-confidence motions filed against the acting Town Clerk on more than four occasions; but she has managed to remain with former Local Government Minister Norman Whitaker constantly intervening for her to hold the post.

Sooba, who openly took control of the executive and administrative functions of the city council under the PPP Administration, has not gone on work leave for more than two years now. The Mayor and Councilors had complained bitterly about her attitude as she refused to carry out the Council’s decisions and would further, act and make Council decisions on her own accord.

She had claimed that she was only taking orders from the Local Government Minister.

Sooba’s tainted history at the Council included the fact that she received the Town Clerk position without presenting one piece of academic or identification evidence. She made arbitrary deducted monies from Councilor’ stipends and workers’ salaries and refused to recognize several new staffers hired by the Council’s Human Resource Department.

Several other run-ins with the Council’s executive and the CEO had led to a number of legal actions being filed with the High Court. The Council at one pointed approved Communications Director Royston King to replace Sooba as the Town Clerk, but this led to bitter episode including a tug of war between Sooba and the Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green, which could have easily turned into a brawl.

The Council is however prepared at its meeting Monday May 25, to send the acting Town Clerk on leave until a way forward is determined by the new Local Government Ministry renamed, Ministry of Communities.

The particular motion to be activated today was tabled by Councilors Gregory Fraser and Gladston George on April 27 last.

The Deputy Town Clerk, Sharon Harry- Munroe is expected to replace Sooba.