NEW Mayor of Portmore George Lee is eagerly awaiting his second swearing-in as Mayor of Portmore, at a ceremony tentatively set for Tuesday, April 3.

Lee destroyed former mayor and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) candidate Keith Hinds in last Monday’s municipal election, walking away with 15,011 votes to Hinds’ 8,287 and independent candidate Alrick Davis’s 216 votes.

Lee’s People’s National Party (PNP) also walked away with 11 of the 12 parish council divisions in Portmore, leaving councillor for the Independence City division, Keith Blake, as the sole JLP representative.

Commenting on the composition of the council, a beaming George Lee, who said he broke his arm in a fall, during the just-concluded election campaign, said the make-up of the council will not affect the quality of representation that the residents of the municipality expect.

Lee remains adamant that the council’s impact was not felt over the past four years, while Hinds was in the position of mayor, and is suggesting that he has a lot of ground to cover to return the council to strong standing.

“There is a vision we had of Portmore when we fought for municipality; for communities that were strong, that were vibrant, that were economically sound, environmentally friendly, transparent, and I find that in all of these areas, the last administration fell short,” said Lee who based his campaign on the perceived failures of the former chairman.

“My first order of business is to restore credibility and respect to the municipality. The roads are in a bad condition, I understand the financial challenges, but I think we have to prioritise. We have to begin to look at developmental issues,” the mayor-designate added as he spoke with the Jamaica Observer.

Lee suggested that no effort will be spared in addressing the chronic mosquito problem in Portmore. The issue was the subject of several public spats between Lee and Hinds, with the mayor designate accusing Hinds of neglecting the issue.

“When I became mayor last time, the second day I said, ladies and gentlemen mosquito control is a priority. Where I live in Bridgeport, I have to lock my doors by 5:30, so it is our responsibility, and we will work in tandem with the ministry of health”, he emphasised.

The incoming mayor also disclosed that the principals of an entity interested in constructing a hospital in Portmore will be coming to the island this week for discussions.

Plans to construct the hospital were announced several years ago, but the project never got off the ground.