Ahead of the November 28 Local Government elections, the Jamaica Observer North and East team visited sections of St Mary, Portland and St Thomas to find out from residents in these areas what local government means to them? Here are their responses.

Fitzroy Donaldson, Islington, St Mary: Local Government is supposed to represent the people at the local level. The representative of a particular area is supposed to be acquainted with everyone in the division. As far as I see it that person is supposed to be well known by each individual living in that particular area. The councillor should know each and every area that needs improvement and where people have difficulty and challenges with things where the area is concerned. To me a councillor is supposed to be the mouth piece for the people in a particular area.

Gladston Francis, Martin District, St Mary: Local Government has to do with the community. Things like drains, garbage, hospital, police station and other things. It is necessary because all those things supposed to be done in the individual community. Councillors must come around in each community and see that things going the way they should. They should get instructions from the Member of Parliament.

Jodian-Ann Gray, Caron Hall, St Mary: Mi nuh know nothing ’bout Local Government. Mi would like somebody fi explain it to me miss. Mi nuh know nothing ’bout politics. Who vote;nuh people like me?

Christopher Martin, Gibraltar, St Mary: Local Government is to help the people locally but they are not doing that. I don’t see what they are doing to live up to the Local Government name. Councillors in the community right now just want the name. They’re not living up to it though. Only time them come around is for election or voting; that’s when they try to do something. Until them start do something fi the people them and get them jobs and stuff like that then we will say it’s necessary but right now I don’t think it’s necessary.

Justin Strachan, Annotto Bay, St Mary: Local Government is nothing but rubbish. We need different representatives. Look at Annotto Bay town for example. When prime ministers come they come to the square of any town and look at this, it is a disgrace.

David Henry, Anchovy Land Settlement, Portland: Mi being hearing about it growing up but mi nuh see it. From mi inna mi 40s mi nuh see wah Local Government doing right now. Mi understand seh it’s a parish council thing and them response fi the road and helping people. Mi think them fi scrap it because it not doing a thing. One thing we must have and that is the one with the prime minister.

Michael Grant, Port Antonio, Portland: Local Government is for the parish level. Basically the parish council is responsible for the parish development but none of that not taking place in Portland at the moment. For instance, if you look on the town it is really shabby. The buildings are old, the streets are unpaved, most of them in and around Port Antonio, and for the people who doing business they are not engaging them to get help or assistance to help build up the town. It is necessary but they just need to have the people who have the town at heart and have the vision. I think most of the people who run local government in Portland just don’t have it. I don’t think them know what is required to get the town moving. So, I guess we need the people who really know and want to see the town move.

Nakia Donegon, Manchioneal, Portland: Local government, some of them good and some of them bad you understand me? It’s a parish council government running for the smaller divisions, the councillors. Them suppose to support the people them and keep the place clean.

Moses Biggerstaff, Titchfield, Portland: Boy mi nuh know ’bout the government them enuh because local government inna power mi a work. Real government inna power mi a work so the whole of them are the same.

Ricardo Anderson, Sherwood Forest, Portland: I have no idea. I don’t know what Local Government means because I don’t see nobody a do nothing whether at the local or up a top. Them supposed to take care of light, roads and things like that but them not doing it. Them not doing anything, so it’s not necessary.

Danovan Williams, Springfield, St Thomas: Local Government ought to affect the local communities. Garbage collection and drain cleaning and closer to the populace that the role and purpose of Local Government. They have to perform that task fully to give account of themselves and ensure that they fulfil that mandate.

Patrick Dennis, Seaforth, St Thomas: Mi nuh see how Local Government benefit the people them. It necessary for some people but it not necessary for some. It is a waste of time though.

Anna-Kay McQueen, Trinity Ville, St Thomas: I don’t know what it means because I don’t follow it up.

Sydney Gordon, Yallahs, St Thomas: It means they should locally take care of the business of the people in the parish. But for all I care it has no meaning. We have not had any road in St Thomas fixed for decades so it doesn’t mean anything. All it means as I see it is that parish councillors are getting a salary and whatever perks them get. The only thing I see them taking care of is garbage collection.

Michael Johnson, Trinity Ville, St Thomas: It means that this will allow the local representatives to take more responsibility in the fields like looking about the local things so that they can report to the higher people.