‘We always got paid on time under Sooba’ – retired City Hall worker

A retired employee of the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has testified that working conditions under former Town Clerk, Carol Sooba was better than it is now, under the leadership of Royston King.

Wendy DeCunha, who worked at the M&CC from 1983 to 2017, told the ongoing City Hall Commission of Inquiry on Friday that Royston King’s tenure can be characterized as a period where the workers’ welfare and wellbeing are blatantly neglected.

DeCunha, who now serves as the President of the Trade Union representing City Hall workers, said the employees have struggled to get paid on time from 2016 – 2017, with King as the Chief Administrator of the City.

She recalled that in November 2017, workers staged a picketing exercise after they went a whole month without being paid.

DeCunha recalled that at a subsequent meeting on November 15, 2017, King reportedly said: “I know I have to pay the workers but I have to look after the community projects, so one has to make way for the other.”

She pointed out that during the period Carol Sooba served as Town Clerk, workers received their salaries on time, however, there was little effort placed on community projects.

DeCunha added that the workers still had grievances with the Town Clerk over their retroactive pay and other benefits.

The Trade Unionist believes that City Hall generates enough revenue to efficiently manage the city expenses, pay workers and execute community projects.

DeCunha said it comes back to management, and she believes that the city finances are being mismanaged.

She told the COI that the best Town Clerk the city has ever seen was Prince Melvin, who served during the 80s and 90s.