KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby has raised concerns about the financial constraints being experienced by the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) amid the establishment of the One Road Authority.

“It is still not clear how the establishment of the One Road Authority will address the issue of inadequate financial resources for local authorities. There has been no clear indication on how municipal corporations will gain access to increased allocations needed to properly maintain and rehabilitate roads under our responsibility,” said Swaby during a meeting of the KSAMC on Tuesday.

The mayor also noted that the KSAMC Roads and Works Department continues to operate with fewer technical officers than required, and the authority to expand its capacity does not rest solely with the municipal corporation.

“If we are serious about improving road conditions across Kingston and St Andrew, then local authorities like the KSAMC must be properly resourced both financially and technically,” he noted.

Noting comments he said were made by Minister with responsibility for Works, Robert Morgan, that 70 per cent of the roads in Kingston and St Andrew are the responsibility of the KSAMC, Swaby blamed a lack of resources.

“Local authorities are simply not funded at the level that allows us to properly maintain roads under our care,” he said.

Swaby said each month the KSAMC receives, on average, $85 million from the parochial revenue fund for road maintenance but said the amount is nowhere near enough to complete the repairs necessary. He also noted that the allocation is not only for roads but also for drain cleaning, de-bushing and support for seasonal work programmes.

The mayor said local authorities are being asked to do more with far less.

“If we want to achieve a higher and more consistent standard of road quality across the country, then local authorities must first be properly funded,” he said.