MONROVIA — Maryland County District #3 Representative Austin B. Taylor has challenged the Ministry of Local Government’s decision to revoke the city status of communities that failed to meet the required criteria, arguing that residents should not be penalized for the government’s failure to provide basic services and infrastructure.
By Peter P. Toe, Jr., peterp.toe@frontpageafricaonline.com
Rep. Taylor made the remarks on Tuesday, October 14 during the First Sitting of the Third Quarter of the House of Representatives, where lawmakers discussed the Ministry’s nationwide decision announced in September 2026.
Under the decision, only Pleebo and Harper remain officially recognized as cities in Maryland County, while other communities that previously held city status have lost that recognition.
Speaking during the legislative session, Rep. Taylor questioned why communities should lose their city status because they lack essential services such as running water and banking institutions, which he argued are the government’s responsibility to provide.
“Some of the requirements for having a city are just basic,” Rep. Taylor told his colleagues, identifying running water and banking services as among the facilities expected in cities.
“Who is responsible for getting running water to the people? Is the government. Is it the citizens or the local people there who should be establishing banks?” he asked.
Rep. Taylor argued that the government must take responsibility for ensuring that communities receive essential services rather than penalizing residents for the absence of those facilities.
“We cannot be renegades and refuse the status of these communities and citizens, simply because of these basic things,” he said.
The Maryland County District 3 lawmaker also questioned why communities that have existed for decades, some for nearly a century, were still struggling to meet the requirements now being used to assess their status.
Liberia gained independence in 1847, Rep. Taylor noted, questioning why the government had failed to provide the necessary infrastructure to help long-established communities meet the requirements for city status.
“What has government been waiting for for these cities to catch up with the required status?” he asked.
Beyond the lack of basic services, Rep. Taylor questioned the process through which the Ministry arrived at its decision, arguing that the government must follow the law when determining whether communities should retain or lose their city status.
Referencing the Local Government Act, he maintained that the minister responsible should return to the Legislature to allow lawmakers to deliberate on the matter before any such decision is made.
“He cannot sit unilaterally and make such a decision,” Rep. Taylor said.
The lawmaker joined calls for the minister and his deputies to appear before the Legislature to explain the basis for the decision.
Rep. Taylor warned that if the officials failed to provide a satisfactory explanation, the Legislature should consider taking action against them.
The debate over city status carries particular significance for Maryland County, where two communities in Taylor’s electoral district—Karloken City in Karluway Statutory District and Glofaken City in Barrobo Statutory District—have lost their official city recognition under the Ministry’s decision.
However, efforts to address some of the infrastructure concerns in the two communities were already underway in August 2026.
During his activities in the county that month, Maryland County Superintendent Nathaniel Toe, Jr. disclosed that the government planned to take action against cities that lacked essential infrastructure, including city halls.
The superintendent said he had appealed for the affected cities to be given until December to meet the required standards, warning that the Ministry could act after the deadline if the necessary infrastructure remained inadequate.
On August 13, two days after taking the oath of office, Superintendent Toe officially broke grounds for the construction of city halls in Karloken and Glofaken through the 2025 County Development Fund.
During an independent assessment tour on September 29 FrontPage Africa observed that construction work had commenced at both sites and was making steady progress.
The construction projects raise questions about whether the completion of the city halls, alongside the provision of other required infrastructure, could help the two communities regain their official city status.
Rep. Taylor’s remarks add to the wider debate over the Ministry’s nationwide decision and the responsibility of the government to provide basic infrastructure in communities seeking to retain or regain official recognition as cities.
As the debate continues at the Legislature, the progress of the city hall projects in Karloken and Glofaken could become central to discussions about the future status of the two communities. However, whether the ongoing construction and provision of other required infrastructure will lead to the restoration of their city status remains unclear.
Rep. Taylor’s call for the Minister of Local Government and his deputies to appear before the Legislature places the future of affected communities on the legislative agenda. The lawmakers are expected to seek clarification on the legal basis for the decision and the process used to revoke the cities’ status, while considering what steps may be taken if the minister fails to provide a satisfactory explanation.