Portmore Municipal Council Honours Pioneering Mayor

The busy Portmore Parkway in St. Catherine has been renamed George Lee Boulevard, in honour of the first mayor of the municipality.
Councillors turned out in their numbers for the recent occasion, which was preceded by a civic ceremony at the Lion’s Civic Centre, to pay tribute to Mr. Lee for his stewardship and pioneering work in the formation of the Portmore Municipal Council.
Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Senator Arthur Williams, who brought greetings, said that the renaming of the roadway was “a most fitting tribute to a man, who worked so hard for the good of the people of Portmore.”
“It is fitting that Portmore be accorded municipal status. That became a reality in 2003 and again, it is fitting that George Lee became the first Mayor of Portmore. It is an experiment that has worked. Your leadership in the first term set the stage and those who come after, must ensure that the municipality grows from strength to strength,” he stated.
Mayor Keith Hinds, who succeeded Mr. Lee as head of the Municipal Council, hailed the pioneer for his unselfish and tireless work.
“George Lee led the fight in us becoming a municipality and in honouring him, I feel a sense of joy and pride. He deserves this (honour),” he stated.
Member of Parliament for South East St. Catherine, Colin Fagan, who is the former deputy mayor of the Portmore Municipal Council, stated that the renamed road should serve as a constant reminder of the “mettle of the man.”
For her part, Member of Parliament for South Central St. Catherine, Sharon Hay-Webster, said that she was always impressed with the mayor’s eye for detail and preparedness whenever a hurricane loomed and posed a threat to Portmore.
Representative of the Portmore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Councillor Dale Dixon, also lauded the dedication and stick-to-itiveness of the former mayor, noting that these were qualities that the chamber admired.
Mr. Lee, in his response, praised early stalwarts of the Portmore Joint Citizens Association, such as George Nelson, George Mateos, Trevor Nelson, who were instrumental in the formation of the municipality.
He thanked the Municipal Council for deciding to honour him and called on the members to reach out and involve the citizenry even more, in the local government process. “You will have to ensure that there is value for money. Find ways and means to provide essential services, doing more with less, and reach out and involve the citizens more,” he urged.
A citation, which chronicled Mr. Lee’s achievements, was also read.