SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Saying they are tired of being ‘toothless bulldogs who just bark and make noise’, councillors of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP)-controlled Westmoreland Municipal Corporation are asking for greater control over payments made to the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA).

There was also a suggestion from one councillor that the locally elected officials use uncollected garbage to block the roads in an effort to call attention to the shoddy job being done by the State-run NSWMA.

Councillor Cebert McFarlane (PNP, Leamington Division) first raised the issue of the NSWMA’s performance during Thursday’s regular monthly meeting of the corporation.

“The councillors must shout loud for the legal authorities to do something! At this time we have no control over property tax,” he argued, noting that this applies to councillors from both parties.

Income from property taxes is used to pay for garbage collection and other services provided at the local level. According to a report from Western Parks and Markets (WPM), the local arm of the NSWMA, Westmoreland is expected to generate $526 million in property tax for the 2022/23 financial year. Up to May, $195 million had been collected.

“We cannot say that citizens are getting justice for their money in terms of garbage collection. The municipal corporation is seen as an oversight body for garbage collection. The only thing we can do is take report and make noise,” McFarlane told the meeting, while stressing the need for change.

Westmoreland has been plagued with inadequate garbage collection for years, and this has triggered illegal dumping habits in some communities.

“Whether they collect garbage yes or no, they are being paid. NSWMA is being paid, and the municipal corporation cannot do anything about it,” said McFarlane.

“When the citizens’ garbage is not collected we as a council must can subtract and seh, ‘Look, now you never collected for Burnt Savannah last week, suh we not going to pay you for that collection’,” he said.

“Let the citizens see us as their representative, we must have control,” McFarlane urged.

Councillor Devon Thomas (PNP, North Savanna-la-Mar Division) also voiced his concern.

“Enough is enough, garbage gonna kill us in Westmoreland. Why pay property tax, why collect so much money and they can’t service the garbage?” he questioned.

“As a council, I think we need to just come together and block the road with the garbage, enough is enough,” said a furious Thomas.

In response senior public cleansing inspector for Westmoreland and Hanover Leona Bennett apologised to councillors and those they represent.

“I would like to assure the residents of Westmoreland that it is not WPM or NSWMA’s wish to have garbage that is not removed,” she said.

There is an islandwide issue with garbage collection. The Government has recently indicated that 50 new trucks should be in the country by the end of the year.