MONTEGO BAY, St James — Mayor of Montego Bay Richard Vernon has given an assurance that he will meet today’s deadline to explain to the political ombudsman his rationale for removing a number of political campaign posters in the city.

Today is also the day a lawsuit filed by the People’s National Party (PNP), in connection with the removal of the signs, goes back before the Supreme Court.

“We will be responding to them via our lawyers by the 14th, which is tomorrow,” Vernon told the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday when asked for an update.

“The court case, we got the date for last week Monday, but it has since been delayed several times and we are expected to go back this Wednesday,” he added.

He had originally been given an April 25 date to respond to the ombudsman but asked for an extension to facilitate the court case.

“Because the matter was brought before the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court takes precedence,” the mayor told the
Observer.

Vernon’s response to the political ombudsman’s request is being keenly watched as it is one of the first rulings made since the duties of the ombudsman were controversially subsumed into those performed by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

It all began when the mayor, who was elected on a Jamaica Labour Party ticket to represent the Montego Bay South Division, announced that there was a proliferation of election campaign posters in the city, some taking up spaces that would have ordinarily generated revenue for the municipality. He expressed concern that the situation would worsen when the election campaign season began. The mayor urged owners of the signs to take them down or the city would remove them and send them the bill for doing so.

The banners that were removed belong to members of the PNP who argued that the country is now in the election campaign season and the signs are allowed. They told the mayor to replace their signs or face a lawsuit. The mayor told them to go ahead and sue.

The suit was filed on behalf of Dr Andre Haughton who is vying for the St James West Central constituency; Senator Janice Allen, who is seeking to represent the St James Central constituency; and Allan Bernard, who has his sights set on St James North Western.

They have asked for a judicial review of the St James Municipal Corporation’s decision to remove their campaign banners. They also want the court to quash the corporation’s decision to remove their banners and a review of the motion passed by the corporation’s Finance Committee on April 9, 2025, that prohibits the display of advertising pending the announcement of the elections.

Additionally, they are seeking an order barring the corporation from interfering in the applicants’ political advertising and an order compelling the corporation to return, restore, and reinstate the boards that were removed.