Boundary Bill to be Tabled in The House

Cabinet has given approval for a Bill to be tabled in Parliament detailing how the boundaries of Local Government city municipalities are to be altered.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on January 11, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the Bill, which dictates the relationship between the municipalities and the municipal corporations, will be tabled by the Portfolio Minister, Hon. Desmond McKenzie.

Other specific considerations of the Bill are that councillors elected to a city municipality within a parish should not sit on the municipal corporation of the parish.

It also includes an amendment of the Local Government Act, 2016 and the Public Health Act, 1985 to designate a city municipality as the local board of health for its jurisdiction. An amendment of the Local Government (Financing and Financial Management) Act, 2016 to provide for the allocation of funds to a directly elected mayor is also included.

Senator Reid noted that Cabinet has approved the relocation of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development, the Offices of the Board of Supervision and the headquarters of the Jamaica Fire Brigade to 61 Hagley Park Road, Kingston 10.