Poor performance of councillors need to be highlighted
THE EDITOR, Madam:
I OPINE that the critical mass of public opinion contributed significantly to Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding initiating the resignation of Mr Warmington and the resignation and apology of Mr Meadows for their unethical remarks in public.
For decades, civil society has been laser-focused in its critique of the political activities of the two parties through the ministers of government, the opposition shadow ministers and the caretakers. For this reason, many political commentators have argued that the electorate voted not for the individual councillors, but for the political parties’ message in the recent local government elections. The political parties have been so clever that they have shifted the debate from councillors’ poor performances to the political parties’ successes or visions. Further, the electorate’s ignorance regarding their councillors again allows the parties to control the narrative and direct our attention.
The time is ripe for civil society to begin paying attention to the performance of municipal corporations. We need to create a critical mass of opinion on their poor performance or inability to manage. In addition to the anecdotal stories of disastrous management of parish markets, parochial roads, and drains, the accountant general, in her last annual report, provides empirical evidence of the failing grade of the municipal authorities. According to her report, she noted the following:
1. Between 2010/11 and 2017/18, five municipal authorities spent over $10 billion and received $5.6 billion, for which there were no “adequate supporting documents”.
2. During the review period, 81 statements requested by the auditor general from the 14 municipal authorities were delivered after sometime.
She noted the inability to carry out “key audit procedures to determine whether the financial statements were prepared ... by the applicable financial reporting framework.” If a properly managed company employed these councillors, they would have been fired immediately.
I urge more citizens to provide greater scrutiny of the management of the municipal authorities. However, we need to rely, for example, on increasing investigative journalism, especially from the major media houses who have the resources to investigate the councillors’ work and provide citizens with empirical data. Thus, they (the citizens) would be empowered to lend their voices to the call for proper management of the councils and greater accountability.
REV. FR. DONALD CHAMBERS
frdon63@hotmail.com