Portland Parish Council Sworn in

The members of the Portland Parish Council were sworn into office earlier this week, with Councillors Floyd Patterson of the St. Margaret’s Bay division elected as Mayor of Port Antonio and Councillor Derron Wood of the Fairy Hill division, as Deputy Mayor. The swearing in ceremony, which was held in the Council Chamber at 1Gideon Avenue, Port Antonio, was presided over by Carlton Harris, Returning Officer for Western Portland.
In addition to the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Councillors representing the parish’s other seven divisions were also sworn in. These are: Gloria Minott-Silvera of the Buff Bay division; Global Dukarhan of the Balcarres division; Rupert Kelly of the Hope Bay division; Dexter Rowland of the Port Antonio division; Wayne McKenzie of the Prospect division; Derron Wood of the Fairy Hill division and Alston Hunter of the Manchioneal division.
Addressing the gathering after being sworn in, the new Mayor promised to provide strong and positive leadership to guide the council and the wider Portland community.
He said that he will be relying heavily on the support and cooperation of his fellow councillors and the staff of the council, as he pursues his mandate as Mayor, and appealed to the residents of Portland to work with the council to ensure that it succeeds in its efforts to provide better service.
The Deputy Mayor, in his remarks, promised to work closely with the other councillors to ensure that the potential of Portland is fully realized.
Others speakers were Member of Parliament for Western Portland, Daryl Vaz; Member of Parliament for Eastern Portland, Dr. Donald Rhodd; and Cynthia Perry, who represented Custos of Portland, Roy Thompson.