FALMOUTH, Trelawny — The Trelawny Municipal Corporation (TMC) is to launch an aggressive revenue collection as it seeks to strengthen its financial position in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.

Mayor of Falmouth C Junior Gager made the announcement on Thursday as he chaired the regular monthly meeting of the TMC.

According to Gager, January is a critical period for the corporation’s operations and urgent measures are necessary to ensure continuity of services.

“We will also be undertaking an enforcement drive across the parish,” Gager declared as he indicated that the TMC will be overhauling its parking management system, including reviewing existing tickets and redesigning them with new security features to prevent fraud and abuse, among other measures.

“We will be looking at our parking fees within the town. In fact, I had discussion with my councillors, and we had discussion with Mr [Andrew] Harrison [CEO of TMC]. He knows where I’m going and we will be looking at the parking tickets that have been issued over the years with a view of recalling them, redesigning them, making sure that when a person sees a parking ticket on his or her window it is a legitimate ticket, it isn’t a ticket that has been compromised one way or the other,” Mayor Gager said.

“So we will be looking this month at how we can have some security features…so that we guarantee [legitimacy]. We have also been looking at the amount of tickets that we issue, how they were issued, because we will have to look at every avenue to make sure that the revenue comes into the council,” added Gager as he hinted that the corporation has uncovered disturbing evidence of tampering and duplication of parking tickets.

Highlighting the ease with which fraudulent tickets can now be produced, Gager said, “You would be surprised when you look at the original and look at the fake, you can’t tell the difference, so we are making sure.”

Gager further indicated that the TMC will be tightening its policy on waivers, ensuring that only deserving cases receive such consideration.

“We are going to be looking too at the amount of waivers that we are giving away, and we are going to see if some of them are merited; and they might be. You might have a good reason where we will consider them and remember, from time to time, certain organisations are asked to come in, and you can ask for a waiver or part waiver, but we will have to make sure that the waivers are well-needed before we issue them,” declared Gager.

He reiterated his plea for people doing construction to ensure that building applications are submitted to the municipal corporation for approval before work begins.

“We will be going out there [and] we will be collecting all outstanding revenues, all building fees. So those of you who are out there and you haven’t regularised your homes, don’t matter the community you are in, don’t matter if you are in the back of the bushes — last month we appealed to you to come in, get yourself regularised.

“We ask the churches to come in, get yourself regularised. Melissa has taught us all a lesson: how safe is your building that you are building out there, how safe is it? And we want to make sure that the lives of persons are protected,” Gager added.

He argued that the measures being implemented are intended to safeguard the financial health of the municipal corporation and ensure that essential services continue without disruption as the parish rebuilds following Hurricane Melissa which slammed into Jamaica on October 28, 2025.

“This time of the year, being January, this January after Melissa we do need the revenues, and we need them to make sure that the work of the corporation can go on,” said Gager.

Government Minister Desmond McKenzie (left) makes a point to Mayor of Falmouth Councillor C Junior Gager during a tour of the Trelawny Infirmary in Falmouth, one of the many State-owned facilities in Trelawny hit by Hurricane Melissa. Photo: Horace Hines