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• Major disparities in allocation for work programmes ahead of Local Government Elections
It is not seen as an evaluation of the government’s performance, but there is a strong perception within the ranks of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), that the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is using $150 million of taxpayers’ money to bolster its support in the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The perception is grounded on directives issued by State Minister Bobby Montaque, the driver of the JLP’s Local Government Reform Process, to parish councils, allocating funds for drain cleaning and bushing. Montaque’s decision to allocate $965,000 to community groups in Westmoreland and millions in discretionary spending allocated to JLP mayors across the island, are set to become controversial issues.
But Montaque insisted that charges of political manipulation by his political opponents are baseless.
“Those who are crying foul are not interested in cleaning drains, they only want to get their grubby hands on taxpayers’ money,” he said yesterday.
The dismissal, however, did not explain the wide disparity in the allocations. In the Kingston & St Andrew Corporation, Mayor Desmond McKenzie was allocated $11 million of $27 million overall, as discretionary spending, leaving the remaining $16 million to be allocated equally among all the parish council divisions in the Corporate Area.
This is why Mayor George Lee of Portmore, who controls one of the two councils won by the PNP in the last Local Government Elections, was allocated only $400,000, while $500,000 was allocated to an unnamed citizens’ association in the Naggo Head division represented by Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Mayor of Spanish Town. The money, according to a letter to the municipality, dated November16, was allocated to repair roads and clean drains. Dr. Wheatley, meanwhile, has $5 million for discretionary spending. Responding to queries about the disparity in mayoral allocation in St. Catherine, Montaque asked what Mayor Lee had done with $1 million which had been allocated to all mayors under a recent programme.
Inactive clubs
In Westmoreland, where the JLP lost all parish council divisions in the September 3 General Elections, the parish council’s secretary manager, Patricia Sinclair-Stair, was advised by letter dated November 13, that $5.2 million was approved to be used to effect work on roads and drains within the council’s jurisdiction. But after approving the budget, Minister Montaque in the same letter, allocated $2.5 million of the $5.2 million to the Petersfield division, which is represented by JLP Councillor Larmond Senior, and which the JLP lost by 500 votes in the recent general elections, to effect repairs to roads and drains. This is while $2.5 million is to be shared equally by all the other divisions in the parish and a measly $200,000 is to be allocated as directed by the Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Delford Morgan. Senior is one of three JLP councillors in Westmoreland.
Montaque’s decision to allocate taxpayers’ funds to community groups in Westmoreland has not gone down well. While not a new idea, Member of Parliament for Eastern Westmoreland and sitting Councillor for the Learnington division, Luther Buchanan, said most of the over 12 youth clubs are inactive and the persons named as contact in the document sent to the parish council were political activists.
Mayor Morgan said the idea to allocate funds to youth clubs was “a novelty for me during my tenure”. The mayor argued that usually youth club involvement was done through the Social Development Commission (SDC). He said he was checking with the SDC to verify the existence of these clubs.
Justified disparity
Councillor Devon “Don Don” Thomas, representing the North Savanna-la-Mar division, told the Sunday Herald that $165,000 overall, was allocated to Strathbogie Youth Club, Llandillo Sports Club and Amity and Pipers Corner Club in his division. None of these clubs, he said, were functional and the leader of the Strathbogie Youth Club was his opponent in the December 5 election.
According to sources, head of the Amity and Pipers Corner Club, Izeth Brown, was well over 60 years old. In a telephone interview, Brown, who described himself as the club’s treasurer, told the Sunday Herald that the club was formed about three weeks ago and since then one meeting has been held.
Rose Touzalin of Russia United Club said her club was six months’ old. She denied charges that she was a political activist.
Mayor Montaque was adamant that the allocations were equitable. He justified the disparity in discretionary spending to mayors to the extent of damage to infrastructure in the respective parishes. The junior minister said the mayors must be in a position to respond to the needs of their constituents. The allocation to Mayor McKenzie, he said, was based on the fact that widespread damage was done to the roads and drains in the capital city, where thousands of tax-paying residents reside.
http://www.sunheraldjamaica.com/coverstory1.htm
It is not seen as an evaluation of the government’s performance, but there is a strong perception within the ranks of the Opposition People’s National Party (PNP), that the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) is using $150 million of taxpayers’ money to bolster its support in the upcoming Local Government Elections.
The perception is grounded on directives issued by State Minister Bobby Montaque, the driver of the JLP’s Local Government Reform Process, to parish councils, allocating funds for drain cleaning and bushing. Montaque’s decision to allocate $965,000 to community groups in Westmoreland and millions in discretionary spending allocated to JLP mayors across the island, are set to become controversial issues.
But Montaque insisted that charges of political manipulation by his political opponents are baseless.
“Those who are crying foul are not interested in cleaning drains, they only want to get their grubby hands on taxpayers’ money,” he said yesterday.
The dismissal, however, did not explain the wide disparity in the allocations. In the Kingston & St Andrew Corporation, Mayor Desmond McKenzie was allocated $11 million of $27 million overall, as discretionary spending, leaving the remaining $16 million to be allocated equally among all the parish council divisions in the Corporate Area.
This is why Mayor George Lee of Portmore, who controls one of the two councils won by the PNP in the last Local Government Elections, was allocated only $400,000, while $500,000 was allocated to an unnamed citizens’ association in the Naggo Head division represented by Dr. Andrew Wheatley, Mayor of Spanish Town. The money, according to a letter to the municipality, dated November16, was allocated to repair roads and clean drains. Dr. Wheatley, meanwhile, has $5 million for discretionary spending. Responding to queries about the disparity in mayoral allocation in St. Catherine, Montaque asked what Mayor Lee had done with $1 million which had been allocated to all mayors under a recent programme.
Inactive clubs
In Westmoreland, where the JLP lost all parish council divisions in the September 3 General Elections, the parish council’s secretary manager, Patricia Sinclair-Stair, was advised by letter dated November 13, that $5.2 million was approved to be used to effect work on roads and drains within the council’s jurisdiction. But after approving the budget, Minister Montaque in the same letter, allocated $2.5 million of the $5.2 million to the Petersfield division, which is represented by JLP Councillor Larmond Senior, and which the JLP lost by 500 votes in the recent general elections, to effect repairs to roads and drains. This is while $2.5 million is to be shared equally by all the other divisions in the parish and a measly $200,000 is to be allocated as directed by the Mayor of Savanna-la-Mar, Delford Morgan. Senior is one of three JLP councillors in Westmoreland.
Montaque’s decision to allocate taxpayers’ funds to community groups in Westmoreland has not gone down well. While not a new idea, Member of Parliament for Eastern Westmoreland and sitting Councillor for the Learnington division, Luther Buchanan, said most of the over 12 youth clubs are inactive and the persons named as contact in the document sent to the parish council were political activists.
Mayor Morgan said the idea to allocate funds to youth clubs was “a novelty for me during my tenure”. The mayor argued that usually youth club involvement was done through the Social Development Commission (SDC). He said he was checking with the SDC to verify the existence of these clubs.
Justified disparity
Councillor Devon “Don Don” Thomas, representing the North Savanna-la-Mar division, told the Sunday Herald that $165,000 overall, was allocated to Strathbogie Youth Club, Llandillo Sports Club and Amity and Pipers Corner Club in his division. None of these clubs, he said, were functional and the leader of the Strathbogie Youth Club was his opponent in the December 5 election.
According to sources, head of the Amity and Pipers Corner Club, Izeth Brown, was well over 60 years old. In a telephone interview, Brown, who described himself as the club’s treasurer, told the Sunday Herald that the club was formed about three weeks ago and since then one meeting has been held.
Rose Touzalin of Russia United Club said her club was six months’ old. She denied charges that she was a political activist.
Mayor Montaque was adamant that the allocations were equitable. He justified the disparity in discretionary spending to mayors to the extent of damage to infrastructure in the respective parishes. The junior minister said the mayors must be in a position to respond to the needs of their constituents. The allocation to Mayor McKenzie, he said, was based on the fact that widespread damage was done to the roads and drains in the capital city, where thousands of tax-paying residents reside.
http://www.sunheraldjamaica.com/coverstory1.htm
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