AENON TOWN, Clarendon — Newly re-elected councillor for the Aenon Town Division in Clarendon Northern Delroy Dawson has his work cut out for him as he takes on his third term in local government representation.

Dawson edged out his teacher colleague Suzette Barton in Friday’s by-election by a mere 54 votes, based on the preliminary count by the Electoral Office of Jamaica.

But even as he returns to Clarendon Municipal Corporation there are pressing issues that residents say must be addressed in the division, including poor water and road conditions as well as a lack of opportunities for young people.

“The first thing should be water. We already have water up the road where we get the free flow, and them cut it off and send it up the hill where they have to pump it — all because of [party] colours,” said Keebleton Blair, a resident of Bog Hole in the community.

Blair told the Jamaica Observer that due to political partisanship many residents now have to purchase water.

“They’d have to pump it up, and we would have free flow down here, but them cut it off so we don’t have any water. We have to buy water.”

Additionally, Blair has called for attention to be given to the deteriorating road network and agriculture.

The success of agriculture in the division, he said, depends on the roads as it’s a farming community and residents depend on them for their livelihood.

Another resident, Sophia Burnett-Lewars, a supporter of the People’s National Party, echoed similar thoughts, claiming that during the short stint under the Jamaica Labour Party’s Marjorie McLeod-McFarlane, the division suffered immensely.

“We feel extremely good for the winning because we were suffering; and now we have the victory, we’re gonna be better. We suffered from bad roads, and there was nothing for young people to do. Nobody visited us. We just had no work, and we will be happy to work,” she told the Observer after Dawson was declared the winner on Friday evening.

For young construction worker Roneil Hibbert, he hopes to secure overseas or skills-based prospects.

“I voted for most of the young to get more opportunities, such as farm work or some skill programme — HEART programme, anything. As long as they get jobs most of us will be off of the road,” he said.