Vernon hopes ascension encourages youth to serve in politics

HUMBLED THAT he is now the youngest mayor of Montego Bay at age 34, Richard Vernon is hoping that other youths are encouraged to serve their country politically.

Vernon, who is councillor for the Montego Bay South division, was elected on Thursday after he was nominated by fellow Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) councillor for the Montego Bay North East division, Charles Sinclair.

His nomination was seconded by the People’s National Party (PNP) councillor for the Granville division, Michael Troupe.

Vernon served as Montego Bay’s deputy mayor for close to four years, under the leadership of his predecessor Leeroy Williams, who has since retired.

Speaking to The Gleaner after Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre, Vernon said that his ascension to the chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) should serve as a positive message to the youngsters of Jamaica.

The newly elected mayor pointed out that he was first elected as councillor at the age of 26 in the 2016 local government elections. Just four years later, at age 30, Vernon became Montego Bay’s deputy mayor after former mayor, Homer Davis, became the member of parliament (MP) for the St James Southern constituency.

“Whether I am younger or older, it doesn’t change how humbled I feel about the ascension, but what it should mean to younger people is that there is a possibility,” said Vernon.

“We usually sing the song, ‘I am a promise, I am a possibility. I am a great big bundle of potentiality’, so young people and when we talk about young people, we are talking about those who are under the age of 35 because globally that is the age of the mark of our youth, so people under that age should see this move by my colleagues and the people who elected me as one that symbolises the growth of youth in Jamaica,” said the newly elected mayor.

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

At the same time, Vernon said that more young people should play active roles in the development of their country. He pointed out that the involvement of youths in community and national development is important to the growth of Jamaica.

“We need young people because they have the energy, especially when they have the commitment and the education to top it off to contribute to the process of governance. It is important and they don’t need to think that they need to wait until they’re 40 or 50 to get involved or contribute to the development of their country politically,” Vernon urged.

“When I got elected, I was about 26 years old. I did not just enter council to look around and to pose, but to actually learn and understand the system, then use that knowledge and translate it into meaningful outcomes so that the space can develop and the people’s lives can be better off,” said the newly elected mayor.

In the meantime, Vernon is pleading that youths who venture into politics remain open-minded and committed to making a difference.

“If it is that you are interested in politics, the hallmark of achievement [is] to transform the lives of people, not transform your life in particular,” he said.

Vernon further pointed out that while his political career has flourished in two terms as a councillor, extensive work and commitment are the backbone to his success.

“Even though this is a signal, they need to understand that it is not about profiling or the glimmer and glamour that you see, it’s about getting on the road, doing the work, and loving what you do to make a difference in the community,” Vernon said.

While reflecting on his journey to the seat of mayor, Vernon told The Gleaner that his father, now-deceased Montego Bay businessman Richard Vernon Sr, played a major role in his development.

Vernon spoke with great admiration for the man who he said pushed him to realising his potential as a servant of the people.

“My father’s contribution to my development is significant. I remember him supporting me right throughout, from university when I ran in a hall chair election, he was there. When we campaigned in 2016 for the councillor office, he was there physically doing a lot of work. He was not just calling to get support, but he was on the ground working,” said Vernon.

“This would have been his dream, so basically who you are looking at and talking to, was his dream,” he added.

As the dust settles, Vernon told The Gleaner that he is ready and prepared to work closely with his colleague councillors to serve the people of Montego Bay.

“I am humbled by the ascension to this office and I appreciate the support of my colleagues. The support is unanimous, we had support from both sides of the political divide. We also have a lot of support from the electorate and supporters of the Jamaica Labour Party,” Vernon said.

He continued, “I am not overly excited, but very focused on the task ahead. I know that we have much work to be done and we have a whole lot of partnerships to forge to ensure we are closer, so that we can achieve some of these goals.”

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com