McKenzie dismisses claim St. Thomas MC forced to occupy urban centre

 

Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie has dismissed claims that the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation is being forced to take up office space at the Morant Bay Urban Centre.

 

Former Mayor Hubert Williams had disclosed that the municipal corporation is being asked to pay a monthly rental of $10 million. 

 

The revelation has since sparked controversy.

 

But speaking in St. Thomas on Friday, the Local Government Minister accused the former mayor of being short-sighted.

 

Minister McKenzie said Mr. Williams could have requested that the government and the Factories Corporation of Jamaica review the rent arrangement instead of trying to create a headline. 

 

"...One of the things that he has failed to say [is] that because of the reorganisation of the municipal systems, St. Thomas is going to be in a better position to get more staff, especially to strengthen your building departments. The potential now for building applications with the opening of the highway and all the things that have been done by the government, St. Thomas will now become one of the fastest parishes in terms of demands. Now, how can the parish develop when the authority that is required, which is the municipal corporation, will not be in a position to deal with building applications, to deal with subdivision applications?" argued Mr. McKenzie.  

 

He said municipal corporations island-wide have generated close to $10 billion annually from what he calls own source revenue.

 

"For more than 20 years, they have been operating in one little plaza here, one little shop here, one little shop there. There is no pride of a St. Thomas Municipal Corporation because there is nothing to be proud about. They are operating in a little room.... There is no privacy. There is nowhere for business to be conducted for the St. Thomas Municipal Corporation. None at all," the minister asserted, insisting the The St. Thomas Municipal Corporation is better off operating from the urban centre.