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Leeroy Williams is new Mayor of Montego Bay

Published:Sunday | September 13, 2020 | 6:50 PMChristopher Thomas /Gleaner Writer
Leeroy Williams, who was, today, appointed Mayor of Montego Bay, places a box of mangoes on a counter at the Sangster International Airport in city in this 2019 file photo, as Jamaica resumed exporting the locally grown fruit to US markets.

Councillor for the Montego Bay North division in St James, Leeroy Williams, is the new Mayor of Montego Bay and chairman of the St James Municipal Corporation. 

His appointment comes following the resignation of Homer Davis who was elected member of parliament for St James Southern in the general elections on September 3.  

Williams, who had previously served as Davis’ deputy mayor, was appointed during a special sitting of the corporation at the Montego Bay Cultural Centre in Sam Sharpe Square in the city. The sitting was held following Davis’ formal resignation from the municipal corporation.

Williams’ new appointment is in line with Section 19, Subsection 3 of the Local Governance Act of 2016, which states that: “In the event of the death, resignation, or disqualification from any cause, of the Chairperson of the Council of a Municipal Corporation, the deputy mayor shall forthwith succeed to the office of Chairperson, and shall…continue in office for the remainder of the term of the chairperson.”

Richard Vernon, councillor for the Montego Bay South division, was elected deputy mayor. He defeated Dwight Crawford, councillor for the Spring Garden division, after the 14 councillors present for Sunday’s meeting gave eight votes to Vernon in contrast to five for Crawford.

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