By Denise Clarke, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
CONTROVERSY AND criticism have dogged Montego Bay's Mayor Noel Donaldson for most of the past 12 months.
His move to unearth alleged malpractices of the previous political administration has earned the ire of many prominent Montego-nians, who felt that the mayor was spending too much time digging up skeletons, and not enough time conducting the people's business. Not so, the mayor said.
"The notion that I wasted a lot of time is a mistaken one," Mayor Donaldson told The Gleaner bluntly. "If you look at what we have accomplished over the past year, clearly I have not been sitting idly by over the past year and not getting the job done."
The squabbles between Mayor Donaldson and then secretary/manager Christopher Powell were played out almost blow by blow in the public eye, ending with Mr. Powell's home being shot up, and his subsequent transfer from the parish. However, while condemning the shooting of Mr. Powell's home, Mayor Donaldson also defended the stance he took with the secretary/ manager, adding that it was in the best interest of the citizens of St. James for Mr. Powell to be removed.
Despite the challenges, however, the Council has completed much work during the past year, the Mayor said. Significant improvements have been made at the Charles Gordon Market, with the sanitary conveniences being renovated and a police post established there. Drains have also been cleaned, manholes covered and cemeteries in the parish have been cleared of overgrowth.
The Council is now moving in the direction of maximising the revenue earned from its profit centres, a move which could see the operations of some entities such as the abattoir put in private hands.
"It is our firm belief that the Parish Council ought to be run as a business so that taxpayers should get full value for their money. We do recognise that there are certain areas in which by their very nature you will sustain losses but we believe that the Council can do far better than it has been doing over the years in terms of revenue collection," said the mayor.
He added that the Harbour Street and Old Fort craft markets, the Charles Gordon Market and Pye River Cemetery are among the entities that are being reviewed to see how the Council can maximise returns from their operation.
