Mckenzie

Councillor Kevin Taylor was expelled from a meeting of the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation's (KSAC) Commercial Services Committee Wednesday after he created pandemonium by raising questions about the council's relationship with telecommunications firm, Digicel.

Digicel struck an agreement with the council recently to repair and repaint all the KSAC-operated car parks in New Kingston in the company's colours. The deal will see Digicel paying a fee of $90,000 annually to the council for branding and maintaining the premises for the KSAC free of cost for three years.

Verbal attacks

The KSAC is also in discussions with the company to improve vending in Half-Way Tree in exchange for some branding and promotion. The agreement has not yet been finalised though.

But things turned ugly during yesterday's meeting, which was up to that point being chaired by Mayor Desmond Mckenzie, when Taylor insisted on making a point, instead of moving on with the planned agenda.

The councillor for the Duhaney Park division asked whether other telecommunications companies were approached.

"Anytime we are approaching anything like this, we must come with clean hands," he said.

The statement triggered a barrage of verbal attacks from the majority Jamaica Labour Party councillors, including Mayor McKenzie, who demanded that Taylor withdraw the statement.

"Are you saying that there are underhand things taking place between the council and Digicel?" queried McKenzie, to which Taylor responded: "I am not in a position to say yes or no to that question. I would love to be in a position to say we went around and did proper due diligence, we had the necessary discussions with them and we hired people competitively."

That response caused already bubbling tempers to boil.

"You are a mischief maker, that is what you are!" shouted McKenzie pointing to other branding agreements the council had signed with Cable and Wireless and Maggi.

"This is why people in corporate Jamaica stay clear of us," he added.

"If Digicel erects six cell towers and don't pay for them the same action we take against everybody the same action we take against Digicel. We not showing no preferential treatment to nobody,"McKenzie maintained.

Persistent taylor

But Taylor insisted on questioning the council's relationship with Digicel.

"If it is that we are going to have committee meetings and we cannot question what we are here to discuss I don't see the purpose of having a meeting!" he responded.

After several minutes of verbal battle, the mayor moved a motion to have Taylor expelled from the meeting. Taylor eventually withdrew the statement but the motion was still carried by the majority JLP councillors who were still vexed by his outburst.

Taylor packed his bags and walked through the doors.