FOR many Hanoverians last Thursday’s booting of People’s National Party’s (PNP’s) councillor Lloyd Hill as mayor of Lucea and chairman of the Hanover Parish Council came as a big surprise.

But for others, the writing was on the wall for months.

Several of his colleagues in the PNP-dominated council had long voiced their disgust at his stewardship of council’s affairs, sources say.

“Hill has been told over and over that we were not satisfied with his performance and if he did not shape up we were going to get rid of him,” a party insider said.

So far the incoming mayor and chairman, the very experienced Fredecious Miller who is the PNP councillor for the Green Island division, has said very little about why he sided with one of his PNP colleagues and the two Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors in the seven-member council in ousting Hill.

So far he has only said publicly that his colleagues were not satisfied with Hill’s performance.

Also, a press conference that he has promised would shed light on the matter is yet to materialise.

Hill in the meantime has dismissed Miller’s claim.

He has stated publicly that he has been the driving force behind the local government reform process at the council and has worked assiduously for the betterment of the parish.

Hill believes that he has been used as the ‘sacrificial lamb’ in a bitter dispute now playing out in the constituency of Western Hanover, represented by the PNP’s Ian Hayles.

He says Hayles and his two councillors — Miller and Colville Allen (Caudwell division) — has been having a rocky relationship.

Miller and Allen, he adds, are not expected to contest the next local government elections which is constitutionally due in December, due mainly to the dispute between them and their MP.

I am yet to fathom why those councillors would want to boot Hill because of the ‘so-called dispute’ with the MP, but I hope that in coming days more information on the matter will be unveiled.

However, one of the burning questions on the minds of Hanoverians is: who will replace Miller as the deputy mayor of Lucea?

My strong belief is that the job will go either to Easton Edwards, the articulate and well-loved JLP councillor for the Lucea division, or Albert Lee (JLP), who represents the Riverside division.

After all, without the votes of those two councillors Allen — who moved the no-confidence motion against Hill — and Miller would not have been successful in removing Hill.

But apart from Edwards and Lee, sources say Wynter McIntosh — the PNP councillor for the Chester Castle division in the constituency of Hanover Eastern, represented by DK Duncan — could get the nod.

McIntosh is said to be hard-working and a highly respected person in the parish who maintains a very good relationship with the influential Duncan.

While it is not know for sure at this time who will be Miller’s deputy, one thing is certain — whoever gets the nod will be a first-time councillor, assuming that Hill doesn’t want it.

Except for Hill, who is serving his third term as councillor, and Miller, now in his fifth term, the other five councillors are currently serving their first term as councillors.