Mandeville, Manchester — After 18 years as a parish councillor, including the last nine years as mayor of Mandeville, Brenda Ramsay is walking away from representational politics.

At her final council meeting last Thursday, the outgoing mayor had a strong charge for those of her colleagues destined to continue in the council after the November 28 Local Government Elections.

“Much has been done, much is left to be done,” said Ramsay, who has been councillor for the Bellefield Division representing the People’s National Party (PNP), since she was first elected in 1998.

She urged the Manchester Parish Council to continue to ensure that the “people’s business” are dealt with in a professional manner.

And against the backdrop of alleged corruption involving employees of the Manchester Parish Council, which has marred the image of the organisation, Ramsay insisted that all councillors under leadership could be proud of their stewardship.

“We are not ashamed of our stewardship. I want to speak for the fifteen of us in here. I make no distinction,” she said.

“In spite of the issue with the contractor general, I am proud to say that none of the fifteen elected (representatives) here have been under any cloud and no person can say that anyone has been indicted for corruption. We do not withhold information, we have been open, we have been transparent,” she said.

A deputy superintendent who was in charge of road and works at the Manchester Parish Council, Sanja Elliott, temporary works overseer Kendale Roberts, and Dwayne Sibbles, a caretaker who was employed by Elliott, are set to return to the Manchester Parish Court to face corruption charges this week

The three, who are currently out on bail, were arrested earlier this year following a joint operation at the Manchester Parish Council, which involved the Office of the Contractor General, Financial Investigation Division, and the Major Organised Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA).

MOCA said the Manchester Parish Council employees used their positions to misappropriate funds for their benefit and enrich their associates. The investigation allegedly revealed that the group corruptly benefited in excess of $95 million.

Last Thursday, Ramsay reiterated that parish councils should be autonomous in order that the public can be served in a more efficient way.

“We cannot continue what has been happening where central government… do not believe in local government, and I state that without any apology. They see us as being competitors rather than complementary. Our issues are not the ones that are put on the front burner,” she said.

Asked by Jamaica Observer Central to sum up her life as a political representative, Ramsay said: “It’s being a mixed bag. I can say I enjoyed the ride and the challenges.”

— Alicia Sutherland