Board Members now being paid, Granger denies.
PHILIPSBURG: --- President of the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation Michael Granger on behalf of the board of SCDF amended the articles of incorporation in order to appoint a director of the Foundation and to allow members of the board to receive salary. SMN News understands that the articles of incorporation was recently amended.
When contacted on Wednesday Granger confirmed that the articles of incorporation was amended and does allow the foundation to appoint a director. He said the board of SCDF took the decision during the year 2014. “While the articles of incorporation states that SCDF can appoint a director, no director have been appointed as yet.” When asked if the members of SCDF is receiving a stipend Granger said that was in the old articles of incorporation which dates back to the 1990’s and it is also in the amended version. Asked if members of the foundation is collecting a stipend now, Granger became somewhat hostile and said that they are all volunteers but then said that as a foundation they do not have to answer to anyone, furthermore he wants to know if the law applies to all foundation that can withhold information even from government then why is it different from for the SCDF. SMN News learnt that the SCDF financials are in shambles and that is one of the main reasons several troops were not paid in 2014 and 2015.
When Granger was asked if the SCDF financials are in order he became even more hostile by stating that the SCDF has a board and he cannot give out certain information to the general public. He was even asked if the vehicle that was donated to SCDF is registered in his name or in the name of the foundation because both Granger and his wife have been using the vehicle as their personal vehicle, but this of course agitated Granger who said that St. Maarten and its people lives by rumors.