St. Jago De La Vega or Spanish Town as it is now known; is undoubtedly Jamaica’s most historic town. Once the hub of commercial activity on the island, it still remains a major contributor to the commercial wealth of Jamaica.
In keeping with our mission, we are intent on making the St. Catherine Municipal Corporation a viable entity, providing good service to customers, effectively enforcing local government laws and protecting the environment. With this in mind we have embarked on the following projects:-
- Significant reduction of the Corporation's debt of over 40 million dollars by 50 percent.
- Extensive road improvement within the town;
- The hosting of community foras giving citizens the opportunity to express their views on issues affecting them, assist in finding solutions; and sensitizing them
about the roles and functions of the Municipal Corporation.
- Employment of additional municipal officers to better maintain public order;
- Regularization of vendors at the Linstead, Ewarton andSpanish Town markets – the latter being the Parish Labour Day Project (2013);
- Renovation of the Linstead market in collaboration with the Urban Development Corporation
- This town possesses vast potential which can be maximized with the collaboration of all stakeholders. Hence, our new thrust to implement a structured approach
to heritage tourism in the parish.
A part of this vision we intend to explore the possibility of beautifying the square, renovating the Old Court House and Kings House, refurbishing the Rodney Memorial and The People’s Museum. The reenactment of the reading of the proclamation will also be given consideration. The guidance and support of the Urban Development Corporation, Tourism Enhancement Fund, Tourism Product Development Company and the National Heritage Trust will be sought in this process.This administration has also been working with the police to implement measures that will lead to the reduction of criminal activities across the parish, thus creating the environment where our citizens and visitors can feel safe. We have sought the participation of the citizenry in the relevant projects that will lead to the success of these projects.
The recently established Parish Safety and Security Committee has also provided us with a medium whereby all pertinent issues that affect the parish can be addressed.
I therefore invite all citizens to work with us in the rebuilding and revitalizing of Spanish Town and the entire parish of St. Catherine.
