MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Minister of Local Government and Community Development Desmond McKenzie said that while it may not be possible for elected representatives to know all the workings of local governance it is important that they know the critical aspects of their roles.

Speaking at a sensitisation session for elected representatives at the Gold View Hotel in Mandeville earlier this month he cited an example of a five-term councillor who admitted to being deficient in performing his function.

“I was talking to a councillor… who is a five-term councillor and that councillor, I was more than shocked, I was disappointed that a five-term councillor doesn’t know how to construct a resolution, doesn’t know what the functions of the committees are… He says he is embarrassed as a councillor to hear some of the discussions taking place and he cannot participate in those discussions because he is not aware,” said McKenzie.

He said that the pride of being a councillor must go beyond cleaning drains and getting money to bush roads.

“It is important that the critical things that make your jobs as elected representatives of the people better, that you are in a position to speak… (that) no one, even if they dare question what you say, they can’t deny the facts that you would have put on the table,” said McKenzie.

He said that the purpose of the two-day sensitisation was not to tell councillors how to do their work but to provide them with some of the knowledge required to perform well.

McKenzie said that in his commitment to enhancing leadership at the local government level a discussion has started with the Government-operated Management Institute for National Development (MIND) to facilitate relevant training.

“One of the weaknesses…. is that not many people know anything about local government. There is no curriculum anywhere in Jamaica that speaks to local government,’ he said.

He said that he is trying to raise the standard of local government but the support of councillors is crucial.

“Both political parties since 1962 (have) kicked around local government and (have) kicked it around in a bad way. As long as I am the minister of local government I am going to defend and stand up for the right to protect what we have. I need to have that strength of purpose coming from you. You must now start to do the things that are necessary,” said McKenzie.

The local government minister said that he wants councillors to be self-sufficient in the delivery of service and he is willing to strengthen their capacity to perform.

The sensitisation session in Mandeville that targeted councillors from Manchester, St Elizabeth and Clarendon was the second in a series to be held in different parts of the island.

Newly elected councillor Mario Mitchell (Peoples’ National Party – Bellefield Division, Manchester) told the Jamaica Observer Central he appreciated the information that was provided and that he cleared his schedule in order to be able to benefit from the diverse presentations over the two days.

Withney Smith also a first term councillor (Jamaica Labour Party – Brompton Division, St Elizabeth ) on day one described her experience as “productive, enlightening and informative.”

“We should encourage orientations like this not only at the beginning but during to remind us how to conduct (ourselves) and how we should continue as councillors (in order to be) good councillors for the people,” she said.

Mayor and Chairman Winston Maragh of the Clarendon Parish Council said he has been a councillor for twenty-seven years and was familiar with many of the topics but he still found the information useful.