MoBay mayor urges swift removal of election paraphernalia

WITH THE February 26 local government elections slowly becoming a distant memory, the mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Richard Vernon, is urging that his colleague councillors and caretakers remove election paraphernalia from the parish’s streets.

The campaign material, which can be seen across the parish, is usually paired with orange and green flags to represent the two main political parties.

In addition to that, posters bearing the faces of councillor candidates and their member of parliament (MP) are yet to be removed from poles and tree stumps in St James.

According to Vernon, the flyers and posters utilised during the local government elections in February “have outlived their purpose”.

“I think they have been there for too long. The election is over and done with and the signs have outlived their purpose. So it is time for them to come down,” Vernon told The Gleaner.

“I am encouraging my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to take down their posters and other paraphernalia,” he added.

The mayor explained that the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC) will be forced to conduct a removal exercise in April, if the candidates do not take the initiative to remove their materials.

However, Vernon said that this would come at a cost to each councillor and caretaker.

“The timeline given to the councillors and caretakers was the end of March. Come April, they will get another week but, after that time, I will ask the CEO to have the enforcement team remove all the remaining signs and other paraphernalia, then send the bill to the requisite person or organisation,” Vernon said.

The mayor further explained that there is a fine attached to each sign or poster left after the allotted time. He told The Gleaner that the organisation or owner of these signs might be charged $10,000 for each poster, in addition to $3,000 per flag.

At the same time, Vernon said that he is hoping that all candidates in the recent local government elections will act swiftly to avoid being fined by the municipal corporation.

“I sent the information to them and there was no opposition. They are aware that it is time for them to be removed and I am just encouraging them once more to have them removed, otherwise we will have to do what is done in a regular case,” said Vernon.

He pointed out that the election paraphernalia will be treated in the same manner that all signs and posters are, after the allotted time has passed.

“After they have passed the date for advertisement, it becomes litter, so we remove it and send the bill to the relevant body,” he maintained.

The mayor admitted that he, too, still has campaign material hanging in his Montego Bay South Division. However, he quickly shared that they will be removed this weekend.

Bigger plans

In the meantime, Vernon told The Gleaner that the removal of the election paraphernalia is a part of his bigger plans to clean up Montego Bay. The second-term councillor also hinted at plans to better maintain and manage the billboard spaces across the township.

“In my inaugural address, I made mention of a cleaner city, and that means cleaning up the space where we have disorganised and unauthorised advertising. We will be organising some of those spaces so that we have a better display of advertisement, and we will also be embarking on drain cleaning, sweeping, to maintain better aesthetics within the city space,” he added.

Vernon said that party promoters would also be targeted during April’s exercise to remove the unauthorised signs and posters across the parish.

“If they leave the signs after the events have passed, then we will be treating them accordingly. So, I am encouraging those who are promoters to remove the signs for whatever event you are hosting, once the date has passed,” said Vernon.

“Mobilising our units come at a cost and we have to cover that cost, and in covering that cost, there will be a fee charged. So just do the right thing and remove them,” he urged.

rochelle.clayton@gleanerjm.com