Steven Patrick announcing his resignation as 4th Vice President of the Collectivité at a press conference. (Le Pélican photo)
MARIGOT--Steven Patrick has submitted his resignation as fourth Vice-President of the Collectivité, following the decision taken by President Daniel Gibbs last Thursday to remove him from his role at the head of Delegation Cadre de Vie following an incident that took place June 16 after an Executive Council meeting.
He is still a member of the Territorial Council and the Executive Council, but no longer a member of the majority party.
The drama unfolded on the eve of the Executive Council meeting on June 16 when Patrick was asked to add to the agenda a deliberation on granting building permits. However, faced with the short time to prepare the file he refused and said it would be presented at the next week’s meeting. However, the deliberation was still presented to the Council to release the request for a building permit, against Patrick’s decision.
This led to heated words between Patrick and the Directeur-General Adjoint (DGA) of the department. President Gibbs sided with the DGA, causing a furious Patrick to leave the Council meeting and go to the Cité Administrative building where he had the lock on the DGA’s office door changed, preventing him from entering.
That led to the sanction on June 24 from President Gibbs for behaviour “unbecoming” of an elected official. He was stripped of responsibilities in urban planning, development, environment, and works.
Patrick said at a press conference afterwards that he felt “humiliated and disrespected” by President Gibbs over the affair and that he should have had the last word, not the civil servant (DGA) who is paid to work on orders given by the elected official in charge of the delegation.
“I was overruled on the decision I made and it was done in front of other department heads and elected officials. I get the sanction and the DGA who caused what happened to happen didn’t even get a slap on the wrist,” said Patrick.
“There has been an ongoing dysfunction in the department for over a year now and everyone is aware of. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I decided enough was enough and I did what I did. I’m not justifying it was the best method, but something had to be done. I did what I did and assumed the responsibility for it.”
Patrick further explained that he had discussed the files in private with the President an hour before the Executive Council meeting, and Gibbs had not commented.
“And I forwarded an email rejecting the files that were requested, copying the President so he was informed the night before, and he took no action. So, waiting instead to react in public like that, I don’t take that behaviour from anybody. It could have all been handled in a professional and respectful way.”
