Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Ralph Anglin, is hoping he will not be called upon to run for office again when the next local government elections are called.

After 14 years as the political leader of the town, he’s ready to quit.

“I’ve been having discussions with the (People’s National) Party hierarchy and it is coming near to when I will have to demit. I’m to decide exactly what date my exit will be,” he told the Observer. “It’s not finalised yet, and we’re still in discussions, but I’m leaning towards not going back. You can’t expect to go on forever, you know.”

The Westmoreland Parish Council is currently made up of only PNP representatives, and according to Anglin there have been signals that the next council will have newcomers.

“Indications are that not all the councillors will be going back,” he said.

In the meantime, the council continues to struggle to overcome issues such as poor drainage and sewerage conditions, as well as the unplanned development that has resulted in squatter settlements.

Sections of Westmoreland, including the booming town of Savanna-la-Mar, have been plagued by flooding over the years, and according to Anglin the Urban Development Corporation’s efforts have been ineffective.

The drainage problems are compounded by the fact that most of the town is below sea level.

But Mayor Anglin was optimistic that the problems faced by Westmoreland and surrounding areas would eventually be addressed. The question is, will he still be in office-