An open appeal to Georgetown...

There are areas that could be beautified and become tourist attractions for both local and international visitors. The Central Government has taken on this role. The seawall areas of Georgetown are being transformed into a beautiful recreation and leisure area. Avenues and boulevards are being transformed by the Central Government, similarly, to allow more walking and relaxation to enjoy this beautiful city and create over 10,000 parking spaces. The old railway embankment, an eye sore for decades is being transformed into a beautiful recreation boulevard. The Cemetery Road is now being made into landscaped fourlane road.

The National Park, Pa - rade Ground and others can be transformed to present opportunities for the children of the city to engage in sports, such as tennis, badmington, squash, basketball, football. But the Mayor and the present PNC-controlled City Council have no vision. Their vision for a transformed city is the stinking abattoir.

In 2018, the then Central Government hired a Canadian company at a cost of more than $300M to do a reassessment of property value with the intent to raise taxes. Like they did with the parking meter fiasco, the PPP stopped them with a No-Confidence Motion in Parliament and then defeating them in the 2020 elections. Their wicked plan to increase property taxes is still on the agenda. While the PNC-controlled council has for more than 60 years tried to ensure degradation and regression, turning the Garden City to the Garbage City, using Georgetown and its citizens to wage a war against a PPP government, the PPP itself has been trying to ensure transformation into a modern metropolis.

With each new PNC-controlled council, corruption becomes even more suffocating. Recently, they have been on the campaign trail boasting how they gave a tax amnesty. The truth is not a single ordinary citizen got an amnesty. The amnesty was for people who owed tens of millions of dollars, business people and rich people. But amnesty was just a vehicle for corruption. While the council waived the tax owed by these persons, the question is who took millions under the table? The council got nothing, but how many of us believe that those in control of the council got nothing?

The revenues and expenditures of the council have not been audited and the citizens are unaware where the taxes they pay and the revenues from central government go.

Georgetown needs a new beginning. Our roads must be maintained, lit and parapets landscaped. Old construction and other wastes, such as old vehicles, must be removed from parapets. Our playgrounds, such as Parade Ground, Camptown, Farnum, St. Steven’s, playgrounds and community centers in Texas/California Streets, the Soldiers’ Scheme in West Ruimveldt and at Shepherd’s Lane must be maintained and lights installed. Our drainage system – drains, sluices and pumps - must be transformed. Our garbage must be picked up regularly. Our cemeteries must be maintained. We need recreation areas and boulevards that are safe space for walking and relaxation and present a pleasing aesthetic.

The Parade Ground, the parliament area, the Cuffy monument and other monuments, the seawall areas, Merriman’s Mall, Punt Dam are potential tourist and community recreation areas.

We need an accountable and transparent City Council which will live-stream its meeting so that we can all see who is working for us and who is working against us. We need electronic transactions (E-Governance) so that we could pay our bills, apply for permits, etc. on-line. We need to have statutory opportunities to meet with the mayor and the councilors in our constituencies. We need to have consultations on development plans. We need annual audits subjected to public scrutiny.

We need a town council that is people-oriented and people-friendly, one that cares for the residents, those who work and do business in our town, and visitors.

Citizens of Georgetown, let us take back our city.