MONTEGO BAY — A city manager is expected to be in place to co-ordinate the activities of the newly-formed Montego Bay City Council by its next meeting on February 6.

The council is now working with the local government ministry to formulate a job description for that position, as well as for the other six staff members that will provide the administrative leg of the committee.

At Thursday’s inaugural meeting of the city council, local government minister Arnold Bertram described the city manager position as “critical”.

“The city manager’s first job is how to co-ordinate the services the city depends on,” he explained.

In effect, the city manager will co-ordinate service delivery across the city, and will be the person called when there is a breakdown in solid waste management, the fire service, the maintenance of parochial roads and street lighting.

The city manager and the administrative staff will be paid from the revenue earned from taxes collected at the local level, and will work in conjunction with the 15-member council.

In addition to the 11 elected councillors whose divisions fall within city limits, the city council will also consist of about four members of the private sector and civil society. Members may be selected from organisations such as the Greater Montego Bay Redevelopment Committee, the Parish Development Council, and the Social Development Commission.

The council is currently chaired by deputy mayor of Montego Bay, Gerard Mitchell, but will eventually be headed by an elected mayor. But before that can happen, there needs to be legislative changes that will give Montego Bay the right to self-governance under the reformed St James Local Authority.