Michael Belnavis Sworn in as Mayor of St Ann’s Bay

Councillor of the Ocho Rios Division, the Jamaica Labour Party’s Michael Belnavis was sworn in as mayor of St. Ann’s Bay and chairman of the St. Ann Municipal Corporation on Thursday, four years after stepping down in the face of public pressure.

Belnavis resigned in 2020, following an Integrity Commission report which labelled his installation of an electric vehicle charging station at the corporation for his personal use an abuse of power.

He was subsequently cleared of wrongdoing and repaid the installation cost of just over $78,000.

Belnavis was one of 16 councillors sworn in on Thursday, 11 from the JLP and five from the PNP. Cardell Wickham of the Gibraltar Division was elected deputy mayor of St. Ann’s Bay.

A common theme during the swearing-in ceremony was the need for councillors to work together for the good of the people of St. Ann.

Among those in attendance at the event were three of the four sitting MPs in St. Ann.

They were MPs for South and North West St. Ann, the JLP’s Zavier Mayne and Krystal Lee, and MP for South East St. Ann, the PNP’s Lisa Hanna.

MP for North East St. Ann, the JLP’s Marsha Smith, who was absent due to an assignment overseas, sent a message.