By George Henry, Gleaner WriterSPALDINGS, Clarendon:
THE STAND-OFF between councillors from the two main political parties in the Clarendon Parish Council over the number of committees to be chaired by either party is understood to be over.
Mayor of May Pen and chairman of the Clarendon Parish Council, Milton Brown, said a compromise was reached at a meeting held on the weekend between Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillors, as well as with JLP Members of Parlia-ment, Pearnel Charles and Mike Henry.
The stand-off which lasted some three weeks resulted from the refusal of the JLP to allow the People's National Party (PNP) to chair three of the eight committes in the Council. The JLP had insisted that the PNP should only chair two of the committees, this although both parties had each won 11 seats in the 22-seat Council. A decision was taken at the weekend meeting to allow the PNP to be in charge of the three committees.
FINALLY SETTLED
Mayor Brown said the matter was finally settled after a meeting with Deputy Mayor Leo Hylton of the PNP, with whom the new approach was discussed. He said councillors will be named as deputy chairpersons to some committees.
PNP councillors will chair the Poor Relief and one of the Standing committees. The third is yet to be decided.
The committees of the Clarendon Parish Council are: Fire and Safety; Disaster Preparedness; Planning; Poor Relief; Public Health and Sanitation; Finance; Roads and Works and Water; Civic and Establishment.
