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Herbert Morrison sixth-former is MoBay junior mayor

Published:Wednesday | October 23, 2019 | 12:00 AMAdrian Frater/News Editor
Tejano Taylor (centre), the new ‘junior mayor’ of Montego Bay; his deputy, Arianna Buchanan (left); and Jaheim Stennett, the new junior CEO, will spearhead the St James Junior Council for the 2019-2020 period.

WESTERN BUREAU:

Tejano Taylor, a sixth-form student at Herbert Morrison Technical High School, was last Thursday installed as the new ‘ junior mayor’ of Montego Bay, taking over from Sandrine Morris, who served from 2018-2019.

The 2019-2020 Junior Mayor Competition, from which Taylor was chosen, was contested by 20 students drawn from high schools across the parish, as well as the Montego Bay Community College. Arianna Buchanan, of Montego Bay High School, will serve as Taylor’s deputy, while Jaheim Stennett, of Cornwall College, will act in the capacity of chief executive officer. The other contestants will serve as junior councillors and co-opted members of the Junior Council.

“It has always been my dream to occupy a position such as this, and having achieved that goal, I will be working with my team to make a mark on the city,” said Taylor.

“Jamaica, overall, needs creative young leaders, and I think that in this 2019-2020 Junior Council, we have some of the brightest minds, and we will surely make an ­impression on our city.”

Support

“I know we will be getting great support from the senior councillors, led by Mayor Homer Davis, and it is our aim to maximise that support to build Montego Bay as a city and St James as a parish. I am very confident that we will make a great impression during this administration of the St James Junior Council,” added Taylor.

Gerald Lee, CEO of the St James Municipal Corporation (StJMC), in officially welcoming the new Junior Council administration, played up their role as important.

“With each new Junior Council that is formed, we try to raise the bar, hoping that each new group will rise to the occasion and become more firm and confident as they strengthen positive habits and, as a council, will work together to create great ideas and bring those ideas to fruition,” said Lee.

The competition, which was implemented by the StJMC as a feature to celebrate the granting of city status to Montego Bay in 1980, now falls under the purview of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

The competition is designed to stimulate the interest of young people in governance, particularly at the local level. The competition also kick-starts activities to commemorate Local Government Month, observed in November. The first meeting of the St James Junior Council 2019-2020 cohort is slated for October 24.

adrian.frater@gleanerjm.com