Mayor Scott Criticises Centralised Approach to Beryl Response

Mayor of Spanish Town, the People’s National Party’s Norman Scott, is accusing the local government ministry of not providing adequate resources to help councillors meet the needs of constituents in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl.

Mayor Scott says this has left councillors unable to provide a coordinated response in their divisions.

According to Mayor Scott, the lack of support from the central ministry has led to a disjointed response at the divisional level. He says most of the support so far has been directed through members of parliament.

He’s taking issue with this approach.

Norman Scott, Mayor of Spanish Town.

Meanwhile, Minister of Local Government and Community Development, Desmond McKenzie, says comments accusing the ministry of providing inadequate hurricane relief supplies to councillors are misleading.

Minister McKenzie says Mayor Scott could not claim to be speaking on behalf of councillors across the country, as the progress of the relief effort was communicated at a recent meeting with all mayors.

McKenzie says Scott was well aware of that meeting.

Minister McKenzie says the government is undertaking a national relief effort which minimises the duplication of functions.

He points to statements by Prime Minister Andrew Holness in Parliament last Tuesday, which outlined the roles of the elected representatives in helping state agencies deliver service to residents impacted by Hurricane Beryl.

The minister says resources are being allocated to constituencies, not to parliamentarians or other elected representatives, and that access to these resources is governed by clear accountability systems.