FORMER mayor of Montego Bay Homer Davis, who is now a Member of Parliament, says he is raring and ready to fulfil his mandate as the new state minister for local government and rural development.

Davis defeated Dr Walton Small of the People’s National Party (PNP) in the September 3 General Election to claim the St James Southern constituency seat.

The new state minister, who was sworn in along with eight other state ministers at a ceremony at King’s House in St Andrew, yesterday, told the Jamaica Observer yesterday that his tenure as mayor has prepared him well for the tasks ahead.

“I’m very humbled by this appointment and I’ll be bringing my years of service in local government and my last four years as the mayor of the city of Montego Bay, and how I was able to manage the human resources and also the portfolio,” he said, adding that he intends to go to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development with the same zeal and energy “to make sure that whatever tasks are given to me I execute them in a very timely, efficient and transparent way”.

Davis will be supporting Desmond McKenzie, who was reappointed as local government minister for a second time by Prime Minister Andrew Holness.

The state minister noted that although he has not yet been assigned a specific area of responsibility, he is prepared to apply his skills and knowledge to any aspect of the portfolio.

“Whatever area it is, I am up to the task,” he stated.

The ministry, previously the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, is responsible for development planning, municipal parks, markets, minor water supplies, rural road development, street lights, poor relief, fire services, solid waste management, cemeteries, and disaster preparedness and emergency management.

— Alphea Saunders