Trelawny Councillors Take Salary Cut in Response to PM’s Call

Councillors in the Trelawny Parish Council, will give up 5% percent of their salary to a needy cause within the parish, in keeping with Prime Minister Bruce Golding’s call for elected officials to follow his lead.
In a national broadcast last week Sunday, Mr. Golding said he would “lead by example” and give up his 7% pay increase due April 1, as well as take a 15% cut in his current salary, and encouraged his colleagues in Parliament to follow suit by taking a 10% cut.
On Wednesday(April 8), Mayor of Spanish Town, Dr. Andrew Wheatley, announced that majority members of the Jamaica Labour Party(JLP) dominated St. Catherine Parish Council would take a 5% cut in their $1.2 milliion salary and donate it to the parish infirmary.
On Thursday, Mayor of Falmouth, Collin Gager, announced that all but one of the nine Councillors in that Council had agreed to a 5% salary deduction. The JLP also controls this Council.
Mayor Gager told the monthly meeting of the Council on Thursday(April 9), that the move is in keeping with the national effort against the economic crisis now facing the country, as well as the recent call from Prime MinisterGolding.
Government Senator, Dennis Meadows, who was at the meeting, suggested that the money be donated to the Trelawny Infirmary.
“For Trelawny’s sake, I would suggest to you, humbly, that you take on that idea, and donate the money to the Trelawny Infirmary,” he told the meeting.
Mayor Gager explained that while the Councillors were agreeable to the suggestion, they needed to meet and take a decision.
“That is what all Councillors have expressed. They really want to see it (the money) work, they do not want to see it get lost in the system, but that they should be able to see what they (the beneficiaries) are receiving from this help that they are giving,” he stated.
He said that mention was made of the Infirmary benefiting, when the matter was first brought up. But, the final decision should be reached in time for the deductions to be taken from their April salaries.
Councilor Jonathan Bartley(Wakefield division), went a step further and pledged 50% of his travelling allowances to a basic school in his division.