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New Mayor of Portmore Vows to Address Crime and Create Jobs

December 16, 2007

The Full Story

New Mayor of the Portmore Municipality, Keith Hinds, has vowed to implement new measures to deal with crime, improve the physical infrastructure and create jobs. He also promised to clean-up the municipality. “Our shrubbery and other unwanted trees must go. We have to replace these with flowers, palms and fruit trees,” Mayor Hinds said, while also pledging to work to made Portmore the island’s 15th parish.
He was speaking at Thursday’s (Dec. 13) swearing in ceremony for members of the municipality at the Portmore HEART Academy in St. Catherine. Councillor Owen Saunderson of the Braeton Division was elected as Deputy Mayor.
In his address, the new Mayor said the Council will be seeking ways of creating job opportunities. “With a strong tourism product interlinking the old capital of Spanish Town, downtown Kingston and Port Royal to the east, we have to look at ways of increasing job creation within the municipality itself,” he stated.
Mayor Hinds told the gathering that he will be seeking dialogue with Members of Parliament in Portmore to create a sporting and entertainment complex with two music studios and facilities to play football, cricket, basketball and lawn tennis. Additionally, he mentioned plans to create a “hip strip” along the Port Henderson back road.
He said he will also move ahead with plans put in place by the former Mayor, George Lee, to construct an emancipation park and an old age home in the municipality.
The Mayor also spoke of the need for a new fire truck for the Portmore Fire Station and said that he will be requesting funds from the Ministry with responsibility for the fire service to repair a damaged unit.
The swearing in ceremony was attended by the Minister of State for Water and Housing, Everard Warmington; Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government, Robert Montague; State Minister for National Security, Senator Authur Williams; Members of Parliament; members of the Portmore ministerial fraternal and the Lay Magistrates Association; and community representatives.

Last Updated: December 16, 2007

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