When the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP) regained control of the Hanover Parish Council in the 2007 local government elections, many persons believed that the new regime would be working in the interest of the parishioners.

However, recent developments at that local authority over the past few months however indicate that the affairs of the council are in a mess.

In recent months there have been charges and counter-charges against councillors and some administrative staff regarding the alleged mismanagement of the council’s financial resources.

It is no secret that the financial status of the local authority is unhealthy.

There are millions of dollars worth of unpaid bills and in some cases the banks have refused to encash cheques drawn on the council’s accounts, due to massive overdraft.

Additionally, the accounts department has had to be withholding cheques. In early January, an obviously embarrassed chairman of the council, Lloyd Hill, raised the alarm bells and asked the administrative department to provide answers to a raft of questions concerning the state of the council’s finances.

In his letter — which was copied to Robert Montague, the minister of state in the Ministry of Local Government — the chairman noted that: “It is obvious that the financial affairs of the council are not being properly managed and the chairman and councillors were not being properly advised of the magnitude of the financial problems affecting the council.”

But before Hill could get answers, he was ousted by a “no-confidence vote”, which was supported by four of the seven councillors.

Two weeks later Hill is back in the mayoral chair following a ruling by the Supreme Court that he be reinstated pending a judicial review.

However, the embattled mayor is yet to get the support of the four councillors — (Fedrecious Miller (PNP); Collville Allen (PNP); Easton Edwards (JLP); and Albert Lee (JLP) — who voted him out of office on January 14.

None of those councillors have so far attended any of the two committee meetings — physical, planning and infrastructure — held on Tuesday and yesterday respectively. Neither have they tendered apologies for not being in attendance.

Both committees are chaired by Allen.

While the reasons for their absence are not known, it seems that the councillors are treating the ‘people’s business’ with scant regard.

Based on the turmoil that now exists at the council, I believe steps must be taken to ensure that the local body undertakes its role and functions in a professional manner.

Minister Montague, I believe — if he has not already done so — should consider using his power under Section 116 of the Parish Councils Act to dissolve the council.

That section clearly states that, “If any parish council in the judgment of the minister is not competent to perform or persistently makes default in the performance of the duties lawfully imposed upon it or exceeds or abuses its powers, it shall be lawful for the minister by an order published in the gazette to dissolve such council.”

In this regard I am hoping that Minister Montague will use his office to intervene on behalf of the Hanovarians.

After all, the taxpayers deserve no less.