SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth - A partisan quarrel has erupted in the St Elizabeth Parish Council, stemming from allegations that the driver for Frank Whitter, Mayor of Black River and chairman of the council, has been claiming and receiving subsistence allowances for transporting the mayor on private business connected to party politics.

WHITTER. dismissed allegation as mischief

Whitter, the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Junction division, has denied the charge which was substantially made in a notice of motion tabled by the People's National Party (PNP) councillor for the Brompton Division, Dorothy Buchanan, at Thursday's regular monthly meeting of the parish council.

Buchanan later expanded on the allegation, making the connection to party politics in an interview with the Observer.

But Whitter, who told the Observer that his driver only made subsistence claims for official duties, accused Buchanan of making "mischief".

Buchanan's allegation, which is based on subsistence claims for travel to St Ann on four separate days close to the Alexandria by-election in that parish on November 24, is set for discussion at next month's parish council meeting.
It will also be discussed at the next Finance Committee meeting.

The St Elizabeth Parish Council is controlled by the JLP, 9-6.
The notice of motion called on secretary-manager Opal Beharie to ensure that:

(1) there is a "research" of all subsistence claim forms submitted by the Mayor's driver since 2003 to "determine the nature of the duties and locations";

(2) that all monies paid as subsistence allowance to the driver for "carrying out private duties" be refunded; and
(3) that the monies be recovered before the end of the current financial year.

It also called for claims for subsistence by the mayor's driver to be completed to the "satisfaction of the accounting and auditing staff" of the parish council.
The motion noted that mayors and chairmen of council were entitled to use their "assigned vehicle" for private business but that their drivers were only entitled to subsistence for official duties.

It charged that Whitter's driver or drivers "continue to claim subsistence allowance when carrying out private duties for the mayor". Further, the motion said the "subsistence claim forms are not completed properly (the nature of the business and the places visited omitted), but are honoured by the Parish Council."

Buchanan said she decided to move the motion after seeing a November bill for the St Ann visits, which gave no reason for the trips or specific destinations.
The bill related to travel from Cheapside in St Elizabeth, where the mayor lives, on the 16th, 18th, 19th and 22nd of November.

The November 24 by-election for the Alexandria division was won by the JLP's Winston McLeod, who beat his niece Shirley Campbell of the PNP.

"I have no problem with the mayor travelling to St Ann to deal with party political matters, but the parish council should not be asked to pay subsistence," said Buchanan, who is the wife of the Minister of Water and Housing and Member of Parliament for south west St Elizabeth, Donald Buchanan.

She charged that the behaviour by the mayor's driver was part of a "trend"; and claimed that her efforts to have the matter dealt with had been repeatedly frustrated, including at a recent meeting of the Finance Committee when her allegation was "brushed aside".

But Whitter said that his travels to St Ann had nothing to do with the Alexandria by-election but was for "official business", involving meetings with colleague parish council chairmen, including the mayors of May Pen and St Ann's Bay. Among the issues they discussed was a visit to Scotland late last year, he said.

"If Councillor Buchanan had wanted to know what I was doing in St Ann, she could have asked me," said Whitter.
Further, Whitter noted, audits of the parish council's finances had already been done with no questions raised by auditors.

On Friday, Buchanan rejected Whitter's explanation for visiting St Ann arguing, that "not even the Cabinet of Jamaica meets for four full days, far less involving travel on separate days."

Beharie, meantime declined to comment on the issue, telling the Observer that it would be inappropriate for her to discuss the motion since it had "only been tabled" and would not be up for discussion until next month.

myersg@jamaicaobserver.com

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