FALMOUTH, Trelawny — A number of citizens have started a lobby to convince Prime Minister Bruce Golding to recommend Winston Tomlinson, the general manager of the Trelawny Co-op Credit Union, as Trelawny’s next custos.

The group which has dubbed itself the “Concerned Citizens of Southern and Northern Trelawny” has circulated letters of petition seeking signatures endorsing him.

“Mr T is a people person. He is the most appropriate person in terms of somebody the whole Trelawny knows about. He is supported by the upper echelons of the society, as well as the middle and lower classes. Right now he is more than custos, he is the godfather for the parish. That man has opened doors for a lot of persons in Trelawny,” said spokesman for the group Eric Henlon.

The issue came into sharper focus with the breaking of unofficial news that Governor General Sir Patrick Allen is about to act on a recommendation by Golding to appoint 52-year-old Paul Muschett, vice-chairman of the Muschett High School in Trelawny to the post currently held by attorney-at-law Royland Barrett. Barrett ,who has been in the post for the past 17 years, last year advised of his intention to demit office at the end of 2009. However, the GG has asked him to hold on until the end of this month.

Muschett, who was educated at the Decarteret College in Mandeville and Bloxham public school in Oxfordshire, England, also holds degrees in business and industrial engineering degrees from the Carlton University and Algonquin College in Canada, respectively.

He has been married to Sheono for the past 15 years, a union that has produced two girls.

According to Muschett, who also sits on the boards of Trelawny RADA and the National Irrigation Commission, he will continue the promotion of volunterism in the same vein of outgoing custos Royland Barrett, if appointed.

“ It would be an honour to serve my parish in that capacity. I think that the JPs need to play a greater role in their communities with conflict resolution which was what their mandate was in the old days,” he told the Observer West.

A random survey by the Observer West of 100 Trelawny residents saw 85 of them indicating their preference for Tomlinson, 63, who holds a degree in Human Resources Management from the Euro Asia College in France and level 2 certification from the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT).

Eight said they’d like to see Muschett in the job and seven said they didn’t care.

However although Tomlinson, a father of four whose job facilitates contact with many Trelawny residents, appears to be the popular choice, with the backing of influential people like President of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce Dennis Seivwright, he’s not even a Justice of the Peace.

“Mr T would be a popular choice but he is not a Justice of the Peace, and I am surprised about that given the quality of volunteerism he is engaged in throughout the parish. Had I known he wasn’t, I would have recommended him to be a JP,” said Seivwright.

The Jamaica Labour Party’s member of parliament for South Trelawny, Marisa Dalrymple Philibert, expressed her support for both men.

“Several persons who have served the parish well are available; among them are names such as Paul Muschett whom I have always considered suitable and whose family has served the parish for years. I do believe Mr Muschett would serve admirably… Mr Tomlinson is also an excellent candidate…. I think he is a gentleman who has served in various areas in the community. I have found him to be a very responsible, respectable…,” she added.

But the Opposition People’s National Party’s (PNP) member of parliament for North Trelawny, Dr Patrick Harris, was unwilling to comment on the issue.

JLP caretaker for the North Trelawny constituency, Senator Dennis Meadows, was also unwilling to say whom he favoured.

“It is about who the people see as such and who commands the respect of the Trelawny populace. It is a voluntary position, so therefore it must be somebody who is financially independent and willing to serve the people and make themselves accessible to the people,” said Meadows.