MoBay mayor bows out of local gov’t race
MAYOR of Montego Bay and councillor for the Anchovy Division, Hugh Solomon will not be seeking re-election at the local polls in March.
Solomon, who lost his bid to represent West Central St James on a People’s National Party ticket in last October’s general elections, says he thinks it is time to bow out at the local level. But he has not ruled out another attempt at the parliamentary level during the next general election.
“I am not seeking re-election. I think I have reached the highest level at the (St James Parish) Council,” he told the Observer this week. “I have been there for 16 years and I have reached the highest level, being the mayor. And I think that one should know when to move on and I am one of those who know when to move on.”
His immediate goal, he said, would be the running of his business, Ultimate Construction. But he did not rule out a return to the political field.
“That is quite possible,” he replied when asked if he had ambitions in that direction.
In his first bid to get to Gordon House, Solomon got 45 per cent of the votes in West Central St James while political newcomer for the Jamaica Labour Party, Clive Mullings took the seat with 54 per cent of the votes.
While he bides his time for the next general election and fulfils his role as caretaker for West Central St James, Solomon appears satisfied with the job he has done at the local government level over the last 16 years.
Among his accomplishments he lists the construction of the Montego Bay Civic Centre, the paving of city streets, the removal of derelict vehicles from the roadways and improvements to the municipal dump at Retirement that used to pose a health risk.
His one regret, he said, was that the citizens of the western resort city had not become more involved in their community.
Meanwhile, the front runner to replace Solomon in the Anchovy division is furniture maker Anthony Drummond.
According to Solomon, he has been working closely with Drummond since last year.
“A replacement has always been in place for my division since I (became the caretaker) for West Central St James. He has been understudying me,” Solomon said.
Like all the others who have expressed an interest in representing the People’s National Party in the local government elections, Drummond will first have to get the go ahead from the party hierarchy. The PNP has instituted a rigorous screening process that will see even sitting councillors having to face a review panel. The process has met with some resistance to date and according to party chairman Bobby Pickersgill, the selection of candidates is going slowly.