Black River Mayor raps sluggish local government reform
BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth — Mayor of Black River Jeremy Palmer has expressed disappointment at the slow pace at which the local government reform process is moving.
“I am disappointed that the reform process that we talk about so much has not gone faster,” said Palmer who is also the chairman of the St Elizabeth Parish Council. “I have some difficulties with it because although I am not expecting the whole thing to be handed to us one time, it is my opinion that we should at least get sections of the authority –which is now reserved to the local government ministry– in instalments.”
Added Palmer: “If that was done, then when the whole reform process is handed to us we would have some amount of tutelage in how we handle our affairs.”
Shortly after gaining political power in September 2007 the Jamaica Labour Party administration promised that the local government process would be completed within two years.
But late last year the government shifted the timeline to complete the process to early this year.
Palmer told the Observer West last week that he was hoping that the local government department would start the New Year by “at least handing the councils some of the doables right away, instead of waiting for this magical date when we will get everything.”
If that is done, he argued, then the council would be able to sell properties under its control without the permission of the local government department.
” As long as we follow what is the laid-down regulation…… that is, that of the Contractor General and the Auditor General ……then I don’t see why we shouldn’t be able to sell the properties,” Palmer said.
He further argued that if the parish councils are going to have an effective autonomous body, then the local authorities need to have better control over its staff as well as its ability to regulate its own budget.
Meanwhile, Palmer said the council is working assiduously to establish a museum in the town of Black River next year.
” What we want to do is to set up a history museum which will have much of the culture and all of those things that are pertinent to the parish,” he explained. “We have already identified a building and we have done a project document which has been submitted to TPDCo (Tourism Product Development Company) who are working with us to establish it,” he added.
