Councillor for the Greendale Division Norman Scott was yesterday re-elected mayor of Spanish Town by newly sworn councillors of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation at a lively two-hour ceremony held in the historic town’s Parade Square.

Ralston Wilson, the councillor for the Ginger Ridge Division, was elected vice-chairman of the corporation, while 39 other councillors took the oath of office for their respective divisions across the parish.

Supporters of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) provided comic relief for the large gathering, with antics that delighted for the most part, as they boisterously cheered on their councillors of choice while taking harmless jabs at each other.

Scott, whose supporters erupted in chants of “A Scottie mek wi happy”, and “Scottie row the boat ashore” spoke to the audience about the unpredictable nature of politics.

“Life is a cycle, politics is no different… today the tide is high, tomorrow not so high. These political realities are especially obvious in the calendar year now coming to an end. Not just in Jamaica, but across the world, governments have been changed. All is a reminder that our chosen field of service places us in a cycle (and) that outcome is always determined by the will of the people. There are lessons in that for all of us,” he said.

The mayor noted that electors have become more discerning and are demanding more of those who represent them. “It is us who will face them in the town hall meetings, in the markets, and at the next election, therefore it falls on us to respond to their needs, quickly and within the resources available and in accordance to good governance. In the end, it doesn’t matter what we think of our own performance if we cannot maintain the trust and confidence of the people we serve,” he stated.

He said that his chairmanship of the council should be measured against standards of respect, fairness, boldness and decisiveness.

Scott also appealed to councillors to cooperate for the good of the parish, instead of competing against each other, for the next four years. “It is significant that we are all called municipal corporations,” he said. “Within our name is the description of how we will manage the affairs of this parish, through partnership, engagement and consultation with various stakeholders.”

The mayor said that with this approach a bipartisan committee would be appointed which will comprise representatives of both major political parties, the church, and civil society to interface with the administrative and technical professionals across ministries, agencies and departments.

Scott also pledged to advance a garbage collection initiative which he had started to clean up the old capital and its environs, as well as fixing the problem of illegal parking and the proliferation of illegal garages around the town. He promised that the council would also aggressively tackle unauthorised vending in the town.

He said the planning division would also be examining the possibility of implementing policy for proper guttering and catchment areas to be mandatory in the construction of new homes in the parish.

The mayor said the corporation would also be looking to increase revenue from infirmaries by offering private care at a minimal cost.