Georgetown mayor demands gov’t consult council on improvement plan

Last Updated on Saturday, 8 November 2025, 20:47 by Writer

Georgetown Mayor Alfred Mentore on Saturday slammed the Irfaan Ali-led administration for allegedly refusing to consult with the elected council about plans to improve drainage and parking in Georgetown.

“As the democratically elected representatives of Georgetown, we insist that the Central Government engage in formal, transparent, and structured consultation with the City Council – and through us, with the people of this city – before any further steps are taken,” he said.

Neither of the two housing ministers Collin Croal and Vanessa Benn nor President Irfaan Ali responded to requests for comment.

On the specific proposal to cover canals for paid parking, the mayor said critical details such as which waterways are targeted, the wards or zones for these interventions, materials and engineering standards, design and environmental impact assessment, and who will collect, manage, and benefit from the revenue generated remained undisclosed.

In a lengthy statement, Mr Mentore made it clear that the Council was not opposed to the government’s plans, but was upset that the constitutionally elected council was being bypassed and instead consultations would be held with several private sector organisations like the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry Guyana. “Lest we forget, it is the City Council, not those private organizations or any unelected body, that was chosen by the people of Georgetown to govern this local government democratic district,” he said.

The Mayor also said that legally the Municipal and District Councils Act, Chapter 28:01, explicitly places parapets, drains, canals, bridges, avenues, certain roads and related infrastructure under the jurisdiction, management, and control of the City Council. “These are municipal facilities and assets, not national or private domain,” he said.

Mr Mentore demanded that any plan, proposal, or activity affecting city assets must be properly discussed and coordinated with the mayor and councillors of the City of Georgetown.

“Nothing less will be tolerated by this Council. We bear statutory duties, constitutional responsibility, legal liabilities, and a solemn obligation to account to the citizens who elected us to serve,” he said, but provided no further indication in the statement on how the council, which is majority controlled by the People’s National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). intended to block central government from carrying out the works.

The mayor told Demerara Waves Online News that he planned to write to the government this week formally registering the council’s concerns after guidance by that body.

Mayor Mentore, at the same time, categorically stated that he and his fellow City Councillors were not objecting to President Ali’s plan to improve Georgetown’s infrastructure.

The Chief Citizen said improvements to Georgetown’s drainage, parapets, and public spaces were long overdue and, when executed correctly, could significantly benefit the residents.

He, however, emphasised that the municipality has a right under Guyana’s Constitution to be involved. ‘Any plan, proposal, or activity affecting city assets must be properly discussed and coordinated with the mayor and councillors of the City of Georgetown,” he said.

The cash-strapped city administration has not been cleaning the drainage system properly, collecting waste periodically and maintaining its designated roads for several years now.

The council and the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC)-led central government continue to be at loggerheads over insufficient funds, poor debt collection and political rivalry over control of Georgetown.

Georgetown is a traditional APNU support base, but the PPPC has been increasingly making electoral inroads by winning more seats at local government elections. The next local elections could be held next year.

Back in 2022, President Ali and the then Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) chairman had openly disagreed about the need to consult the locally elected body and government’s refusal to give clean-up grants to the opposition-controlled neighbourhood councils in Region Four.