Caribbean island town shuts down following spat between mayor and council
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The mayor of a small town on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe shuttered government agencies, cancelled classes and halted municipal services on Monday following a spat with city council officials who have called for an emergency meeting.
The closures in Le Gosier, a town of roughly 26,000 people located on the island's southern coast, are expected to last until Wednesday, according to an order issued by Mayor Michel Hotin.
The spat began in late April when Hotin, who was newly elected, failed to receive support from opposition city council members to create a general delegation. The delegation would act as an executive branch, including a general manager and other officials who would have the power to authorize contracts and make other decisions on behalf of Hotin.
Hotin has said that the ongoing stalemate has effectively blocked him from managing Le Gosier because without a general delegation, all decisions would require a council vote.
Hotin defended the closures in a statement, saying he cannot renew essential public contracts of state employees without a delegation.
On Monday, Guadeloupe's prefect, Xavier Lefort, said he would file an appeal before an administrative court to suspend Hotin's order. Guadeloupe is an administrative department of France, and the prefect is the top departmental official on the island.
Lefort also urged Hotin to take emergency measures to reopen the town and meet immediately with the council so it could authorize Hotin to renew or award public contracts absent a delegation.
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