Portmore Municipal Corporation wants administrative control of proposed parish lands

By Kimone Witter 

 

 

The Portmore Municipal Corporation is calling for the government to hand it immediate administrative responsibility for the area earmarked to become Jamaica's newest parish under the Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act, 2025.

 

The call was made by Deputy Mayor Alric Campbell at the council's general meeting on Wednesday.

 

Mr. Campbell tabled a resolution, backed by Mayor Leon Thomas and fellow councillors, calling for Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie to transfer administrative control of the proposed parish boundaries to the council ahead of the legislation's full implementation.

 

This is expected after the next general election.

 

At issue for Mr. Campbell is the growing number of residential and commercial developments within the designated area. 

 

He argued that Portmore risks inheriting responsibility for maintaining roads, public spaces, and other municipal services without receiving the fees generated during the development phase.

 

"It is the [St. Catherine council] that is reaping the benefit now, and should the Act come into play when the EOJ would have completed their procedures, it would mean that by the time that is done, only the responsibility for services we'll reap. We would not be able to reap any of the building fees and so on, any of the revenue from these properties. And so that move is in consideration of that plan," he sought to explain. 

 

Mr. Campbell expressed confidence that Minister McKenzie will grant the interim arrangement that is being sought.

 

The Counties and Parishes (Amendment) Act was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2025 and provides for the creation of Portmore as Jamaica's 15th parish. 

 

However, its implementation, has been delayed by court proceedings arising from a challenge filed by the opposition People's National Party.

 

The Supreme Court accepted the government's undertaking not to bring the legislation into force until certain conditions were met, including the establishment of electoral boundaries by the Electoral Commission of Jamaica.

 

The PNP had argued that the parish could not be created without the ECJ's involvement in determining those boundaries.

 

In the last update in early June, the ECJ said it convened a joint meeting of the Parish Boundary Advisory Committee and the Parish Boundary Forum for Portmore and St. Catherine as part of the ongoing process to review and realign electoral boundaries to conform with the new parish boundaries.

 

The ECJ said the proposed changes are expected to impact St. Catherine South Eastern, St. Catherine East Central, St. Catherine Southern and St. Catherine South Central.