Former Lucea mayor faces first-timer for representational rights in Chester Castle
Published:Thursday | February 22, 2024 | 12:08 AMBryan Miller/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE HANOVER Municipal Corporation’s (HMC) Chester Castle division in Eastern Hanover is noted for regularly changing its political representatives.
No councillor in the recent past – except one of the persons on the 2024 ballot, Wynter McIntosh – can boast of having represented that division for more than one term.
The Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP) decision, therefore, to replace the sitting councillor in that division, Fearon Decarish, with a new candidate, Kaydeen Myles-Campbell, to contest the upcoming local government election in that division, is generating great interest.
Former People’s National Party (PNP) representative for that area, McIntosh, is seeking re-election as the standard-bearer for his party in the division.
Both McIntosh and Myles-Campbell – one an educator and the other a retired educator, respectively – are brimming with confidence. Both told The Gleaner during exclusive interviews that they are looking forward to a victory.
McIntosh served the division as councillor from 2007-2016, during which time he also served as chairman of the HMC and mayor of Lucea, between 2014 and 2016, following the resignation of then mayor, Shernett Haughton.
He was beaten in the 2016 local government election by then JLP representative, Decarish, by over 200 votes.
Decarish will, however, not get the chance to face the electors for a second term, as he was replaced and Myles-Campbell given the nod by party delegates in the division, and subsequently by the party as its representative, in November 2021 following a divisional conference.
“During my tenure as councillor we had carried out a total road rehabilitation programme across the division, inclusive of the entire Haughton Grove Housing Scheme road, Land Bottom through to Land Top road, Chichester to Golden Grove, in Shettlewood and also in Burnt Ground, among others,” McIntosh told The Gleaner during the interview.
He said that several other projects – including agricultural, youth, educational and water projects – were done during his tenure in office. He said he had installed some 16 wayside tanks in areas across the division that had little or no water supply.
“With regard to street lighting, during my time I had put in some 204 street lights across the division, while I was the first representative to initiate garbage collection across the division,” he stated.
He pointed out that some of the projects he started were not completed as he lost the 2016 election.
“Going forward I will have to craft a programme, in consultation with the youths, because we have to make sure that our youths are empowered. It will also have to be about community building, through collaborative efforts and otherwise,” McIntosh said.
RELATIONSHIPS SOLIDIFIED
Myles-Campbell, a newcomer to representational politics, said that she has always been looking at different ways in which she can serve her community and the people in general. She highlighted her involvement in the Kiwanis International movement, which she said had helped to nurture this direction.
“And so I said that representational politics would be an avenue, I can help to craft and implement policies. I can help a wider cross-section of persons by stretching my range even more,” she stated.
She acknowledged that a rift which was created when she was hoisted into the position of divisional caretaker took some time to iron out, but at present a lot of progress has been made in that area and people are beginning to realise her potential and capacity to uplift the community.
“In the main, we have solidified our relationships and most persons are on board. Over time, persons have come to understand more of what I want to do, and the reception has been good,” she stated, adding that she is extremely confident of a win.
As for her plans for the division and the way forward if elected, Myles-Campbell said: “I think it is important that as we work (as councillors) the people know what is happening, I think what we need to do is to have our community meetings to ensure that our executive is functioning, so that information will be disseminated to the division. Also, it is important that I visit, listen and work,” she emphasised.
Myles-Campbell said that a part of the remedy to some of the problems of the division were the task of getting the youths of the division actively engaged in the work force, and the older folks who were engaged in cottage industries re-energised. She said further that creating awareness about the numerous government programmes around will also help.
“If people see and understand what you are about, you can share and spread the word. I am very confident that I will not be a one-term councillor,” she argued.
Both candidates issued a call for the residents of the division to come out and exercise their franchise on election day.