Please allow me space in your column to address Harold Williams, Councilor for the Eight Mile Rock constituency and ‘wannabe Chief Councilor’.
Mr. Williams was initially rejected by the former Council when they handpicked nine persons who ran as 'Team Freeport' to succeed them. Of the nine team members, six were elected to serve as Councilors. Harold Williams was the choice of the former Chief Councilor and a handful of rejected FNM Kingmakers to be Chief Councilor. On July 3rd, 2002, Marva Moxey and Harold Williams ran for the post of Chief Councilor and Marva Moxey beat Harold Williams 5-4 and was elected as Chief Councilor for three years. I know those Councilors who supported the election of the Chief Councilor.
In my opinion, Harold Williams has not gotten over that defeat. I believe that he is unable to move on and respect the decision made by Council. He has shown no respect for democracy and has continuously shown his lack of respect for decisions made by the Council.
Very early in the game Harold Williams was at the center of the controversy at the Community Center. The Chief Councilor, upon instructions of the former Administrator, went to the Center to retrieve a computer that was the property of the city of Freeport Council and among ten computers that went missing from the Council's office. A replacement computer was taken to the Center by the former Chief Councilor the apparent reasoning being that the intended computer for the Center had sensitive information stored on it. (Hasn't he heard about cleaning the hard drive?) This was a replacement computer for one of the missing computers under investigation by the former Administrator as communicated to every member of the previous council and the Council's administrative assistant. I have seen a copy of the letter. Ask the former Chief Councilor where the computers were, as well as who called the media and the Police? Harold Williams, seemingly unaware of the facts, held a press conference at the Center while his Chief Councilor was holding an emergency council meeting to inform the Council and provide documentation to disprove the allegations levied against her.
Harold Williams led the charge at the Freeport Power window where he was photographed by the Freeport News paying the power bill for the Center because he convinced himself and others that the light bill at the Center was not paid and therefore disconnected for nonpayment. I wonder who called the Freeport News? Had he simply enquired about the interruption of service he would have found out that the disruption was not the result of nonpayment. This was brought out the following day by Roger Johnson, spokesperson for the Grand Bahama Power Company, who during a press conference informed the public that the true reason for the disruption was a blown transformer.
In keeping with the mandate of the Local Government Act the Council placed its employees under the direct Supervision of the Administrator. The Administrator held meetings with the Principals and staff and out of a genuine concern for the well being of all involved made a decision to re-deploy the staff. The Chief Councilor carried out the instructions, as is her responsibility. It is alleged that initially, with the exception of the employees at the Beacon School, all of the staff members complied. It is alleged that Mr. Cecil Thompson, District Superintendent of Education, told the Council's staff not to carry out the Council's instructions until the Council met with him. It is alleged that Mr. Thompson met with the Administrator who explained to him the reason for the redeployment. The Council met and Mr. Thompson's letter was tabled and the Council made the decision to defer all meetings with the Department of Education until the Council’s employees had followed the directives given by the Council.
It is alleged that at this time with the exception of six employees, four from the Beacon School, the other employees had moved. At the time of Mr. Thompson's press conference there were six janitors and two Security Officers on staff at the Beacon School fully paid by the Council. At no time was any employee cut in salary and the two janitors who perform the duties of Teachers Aides at the Beacon School were never removed from the school or penalized by the Council. Mr. Thompson should have been fully aware at the time he held his press conference there were no changes made with the janitors who assist as Teachers Aides. So to infer or mislead the public as to the whereabouts of the Teachers Aides, he was being disingenuous at best.
If these children were so important to the Community and to the Government should not these children’s’ well being be considered in the Ministry of Education's budget or Social Services budget? Recognizing the fact that the Local Government budget is given by the Central Government, so being the case, a reduction in the Local Government budget would result in a difficulty in the allocation of funds by the Local Government which brought about the consideration for the actions taken by the Council and Chief Administrator.
Mr. Thompson being the lead person here and having direct responsibility for the operations of government responsibility as it pertains to education should have understood these facts and made proper representation to the appropriate Ministries i.e. Education and Social Services and should have requested proper funding for the Beacon School. Like the school system, which has a tremendous shortage of teachers and is in dire need of such persons I question his competency knowing full well that while there is a shortage of teachers in this system. I can identify one qualified Bahamian with a Masters degree in Education and a number of years of classroom experience. This teacher has been unemployed and seeking employment for the last six months. Again, if Mr. Thompson were worth his salt he would have placed her in the classroom.
It is alleged that Harold Williams and a few disgruntled Councilors (those who voted for him to be Chief Councilor) met with Cecil Thompson and Mrs. Sheryl Wood, the Principal of the Beacon School, despite the Council's decision, of which they are a part, to defer all meetings with the Department of Education until the Council's employees had followed their directives.
Harold Williams was the Councilor who moved the motion for a vote of no confidence in the Chief Councilor. Following the motion he was made fully aware by Deputy Chief Councilor Gow that it was an exercise in futility. Deputy Gow, who defeated Councilor Sands for the position of Deputy Chief Councilor, read a communication from the Attorney General's office which stated the only conditions under which a Chief Councilor or Deputy can be removed from office. A vote of no confidence was not one of them. Therefore any reasonable person would conclude that this must have been an attempt to embarrass the Chief Councilor. After all the Freeport News was there again. Who invited them? On July 3rd, 2002 Councilors Thompson, Sands, Smith and Williams were reported to be the four Councilors who voted for Harold Williams for Chief Councilor and interestingly enough these same three Councilors are believed to have supported his no confidence motion.
Harold Williams must be mindful of the fact that he who wants to be a leader must first prove himself be a follower. And further if he intends to remain in Council he must stop tarnishing the Council's name in public with what is clearly propaganda as it is also a reflection on him.
It is my understanding that no decisions are made without concurrence and in consideration of the democratic process. No decisions are taken unilaterally by the Chief Councilor although the act provides for the discretion of the Chief Councilor. If Harold Williams is so displeased with the Council and the decisions made by the Council and feels that he has no confidence in the ability of the Chief Councilor and the Council, then I suggest he should do the honorable thing and remove himself. He should let others who are willing to abide by the rule of democracy occupy his seat because it would seem to me his sole purpose is to be the Chief Councilor
Sincerely,
Earl Godet