ANNOTTO BAY, St Mary — Businessman and agriculturalist Knute Bartley has a job for the sitting councillor of Annotto Bay, Hugh Bryan (Jamaica Labour Party – JLP).

“I want to say to Councillor Bryan that it’s time for him to go back to Portland,” Bartley told the
Jamaica Observer. He will be the People’s National Party’s candidate who will face off against Bryan on February 26.

“Time come, Mr Bryan. You are a good man and can always come and help in the projects that I will be implementing as the next councillor,” said Bartley, who argued that Bryan has nothing to show for all the years he has been representing the division on behalf of the JLP.

Bryan was first elected to represent Annotto Bay in 2003. In 2007, he defeated the PNP’s Valerie Walters, getting 2,481 votes to her 2,187. In 2012 the PNP’s Dane Golding beat him by 600 votes. He took back the seat by 356 votes in 2016.

“My legacy would be the Brentwood River as a tourist attraction where rafting is done there and the community at large can utilise it,” Bartley said in trying to set himself apart from his opponent.

He is confident that the electorate will vote for him because they agree that Annotto Bay is underdeveloped.

“There needs to be more job creation, development in sports and agriculture,” he said.

“I will create a marketing team for the division where[in] proposals would be written seeking funding from NGOs, based on the needs of each community. The main focus would be on agriculture and fisheries,” added Bartley.

For example, he said he has big plans for Enfield.

“Back in the day, trucks used to line up to take market goods out of that community. With the plans I have this will happen again,” he promised.

Bartley, who first showed an interest in representational politics in 2017, told the
Observer he has been making an impact on the ground.

“The call centre that is currently here, I was instrumental in having the investors come in,” he said with a hint of hubris.

He said he has also made a mark through the work he has done in the areas of sports and welfare.

“One of the main players for the Arnett football team, I was the one who got him in. For education I have bridged gaps with assisting with school fees and getting persons scholarships to overseas colleges. I personally have employed persons in my community,” he said.

The voters will soon decide if he has done enough to earn a chance to represent them.