Dear Editor,

The recent article which appeared in the Sunday Observer publication where the mayor of Falmouth lost his licensed firearm in bizarre circumstances is symptomatic of the carelessness of our leaders, both in speech and action.

If a mayor cannot protect this extremely important and critical aspect of his life and well-being, how can he protect the people of Trelawny through the various arms of local governance in the parish? How can he protect the assets of the council, whether financial, human or property-related. These questions must be asked.

Would the mayor drive the parish council vehicle which is assigned to him and leave it in the public square with the engine running, or would he have left his personal cash lying about carelessly in a desk drawer?

Were I still a councillor at the Trelawny Parish Council I would immediately issue a seven day notification to the secretary/manager of the council for him to call an emergency and extraordinary council meeting for the mayor to explain to the executive of the council the circumstances under which his firearm went missing. If during that meeting it is the opinion of the majority of the executive that the mayor is culpable and careless in his actions to lose his firearm, then a notice of a motion of “no confidence” against the mayor would be served on the secretary/manager.

Although it is a police matter, it is also a management issue which dissects the core of governance at the local authority.

Acts of carelessness on the part of individuals entrusted with public assets and safety must be met with the requisite sanction. This is the only way we can get them to be accountable for their actions. How on God’s Earth can you be entrusted to lead an organisation with assets valuing over four billion dollars and an annual budget of nearly seven hundred thousand dollars, yet you leave your firearm carelessly in a broken, dilapidated drawer. Come on, Mr Mayor!

Fernandez Smith

Duanvale PO, Trelawny

fgeorgesmith@yahoo.com