Jenkins was the former Sanitation Manager - until he was sent home on Tuesday. As recently as December 2016, he had been awarded Employee of the Year in his department. Similarly, the terminated Shanna White was employee of the year for 2016 and 2017 in the Parks and Playgrounds unit - until she was sent home.
Today we asked the Deputy Mayor to defend the firings:...
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"How do you answer the criticism specifically from the CWU that you guys did not observe due process in dealing with their members?"
Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"I would have to check with our HR professionals to really give you an idea of what the due process was or if it was or wasn't. I believe it did. I know that people are really, heavily looking at the dismissals, but there is another part of the restructuring. There were actually human resources that were move from one unit to the other unit as well, because that also forms part of restructuring - trying to get people in areas where they can provide value, where they weren't maybe doing it before."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"I have seen employee of the year plaques or recent vintage, for both Shana Whyte and for Mr. Cecil Jenkins. So it isn't that these people, if one looks at their record were underperforming. These are people who were former employees of the year. How do you respond to that?"
Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"I wasn't around when those awards were given and again, to say that its record, you will have to look at the employee evaluations that are done to really see what is there. The present council and the present mayor have to put things in place where it allows us a level of success and to make sure that we deliver on our mandate and also on the items that we have on our manifesto."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Will there be more to go and will there be more senior people, people at the highest level?"
Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"At this point in time I cannot comment on that. Like I said there is a restructuring that is taking place at the council."
Reporter
"How would you respond to the criticism from your opponents that you're doing the very thing you said you wouldn't do, that it would be a council for the people and that this sort of thing, in terms of the firings would not be happening. The mayor actually said that in an interview as well."
Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"Jules, you've been around enough to know that past UDP councils have really enacted and they've taken political victimization to a different level. So Marisol I'm sorry that I don't share the view that you share, but our opponents don't have the moral authority to speak to us or to speak against us on this matter."
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