ST. MARY MUNICIPAL CORPORATION CONTINUING MONTHLY TOWN HALLS THIS YEAR
JIS:
Residents of St. Mary can expect continued dialogue with the parish’s Municipal Corporation through its monthly town hall meetings.
Mayor of Port Maria and Municipal Corporation Chairman, Councillor Fitzroy Wilson, told JIS News that a commitment was made to give a “listening ear” to the community at least once per month.
Councillor Wilson stated that through these undertakings, “We will go into a different division, and everyone is invited. They can come, make their suggestions, query whatever they are unsure of, and we will have that communication.”
He added that State agencies are invited to these consultations, which are normally chaired by the Social Development Commission (SDC). The sitting Councillor of the respective division will also be in attendance.
“It’s mandatory that they (councillors) attend these consultations, so we can iron out whatever issues there are. A lot of the citizens don’t know the difference between what the roles and responsibilities of the councillor are, [compared to those] of other agencies and also the Member of Parliament. So, we use this as a forum for them to know, understand exactly where we are, how we can assist them, and by what means,” the Mayor said.
Councillor Wilson noted that around 10 of the 13 Divisions hosted town hall meetings last year, “and we will be continuing with them, going around, again, to those we have already started with.”
For February, the Retreat Division has been selected for the undertaking. The proceedings typically begin at 5:00 p.m. or later.
“So we would give persons the opportunity who are leaving work… to be a part of these meetings,” the Mayor pointed out.