The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – Tirzah Carey, former Urban Renewal boss, says that she and others have performed well during the past four and a half years on Grand Bahama.

She said they were never given a chance to prove themselves as professionals following the change of government in May.

“I would say it is victimisation because they have not given us a chance to prove ourselves as professionals. I have worked under the FNM and PLP governments and I performed (well) under all governments because I worked for the people,” she said.

“I felt I was victimised because they never gave me the opportunity to demonstrate my professionalism.”

Mrs Carey and about 40 urban renewal workers were told that when their contracts expired this month, they would not be renewed.

Michelle Reckley, a PLP campaign official, was appointed to head Urban Renewal on Grand Bahama – the position previously held by Ms Carey.

Ms Carey said they were told their contracts were not being renewed because they did not fit the profile of the PLP’s new Urban Renewal 2.0 programme.

“To me that could only be victimisation…because you said to me that we don’t fit your profile. Why, because we don’t support your party?”

Even though it was indicated that persons could reapply for their position, Ms Carey said she was already informed some three weeks before her contract ended that she was being replaced.

“Why should I reapply when an announcement regarding my replacement was already made. There was no other position for me to reapply.

“What was I supposed to apply for when I was in charge of the programme here?

“If I am qualified and did a very good job with the programme, and if they really wanted to retain me they could have done so based on my qualifications and performance, but that was never said to me and so the intent was never there.”

Ms Carey also said that the entire situation concerning an alleged missing industrial sewing machine was very poorly handled.

She said Ms Reckley accused the centre manager at Eight Mile Rock Urban Renewal of stealing the sewing machine and called in the police.

Ms Carey said Ms Reckley contacted the priest and insisted that he return the machine or she would have the centre manager arrested and prosecuted if it were not returned.

The machine was never stolen, she said.

“I had it donated to St Stephen’s Church. The church has been a good corporate citizen to us, and the machine was an industrial sewing machine that no one at the centre knew how to operate, so it was donated where we felt it would have been in wider use in the community of EMR,” she explained.

She noted that they were allowed to use the parish hall free of charge for five years for various urban renewal programmes.

“They (the church) never asked us for anything. We held our sewing programmes, uniform workshop, summer camps, and community band meetings there. They also assisted us with transportation whenever needed,” she recalled.

Ms Carey, who has a Bachelors degree in Social Work from Barry University, has extensive experience in social work. She also received training in management.

Ms Carey served some 15 years in the public service, 12 years as a welfare officer at the Department of Social Services. She was also a probation officer and an executive officer at the Ministry of Housing.