MAY PEN, Clarendon — After an unsuccessful attempt to pass a resolution that would see central Government withholding payments to the State-run National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA), People’s National Party (PNP) councillors walked out of the monthly meeting of the Clarendon Municipal Corporation (CMC) on Thursday. The resolution was an attempt to punish the NSWMA for what the locally elected officials see as shoddy service.

“The NSWMA failed to collect garbage across the parish resulting in overflowing receptacles, the creation of more illegal dumps, and an increase of the rodent population. There are communities where garbage has not been collected since December 2021…” Councillor Scean Barnswell (PNP, Hayes Division) read aloud.

“Be it resolved that the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service withhold further payments to the NSWMA for uncollected garbage for the months of December 2021 and January 2022 for failure to meet its obligation,” added Barnswell, who is the corporation’s minority leader. Seven of the councillors came to office on a PNP ticket.

There was a nine-seven vote, along party lines, against the resolution.

While agreeing that the garbage situation is dire and needs immediate attention, Councillor Hershell Brown (Jamaica Labour Party, Chapelton Division) explained that he would not support the resolution because it was impossible to action.

“A resolution is a firm decision to do or not to do something. We cannot do a resolution so that the Ministry of Finance don’t pay, that’s just not possible. If we were paying we could do a resolution to say let us approve withholding payment. We cannot take a decision for the Ministry of Finance. While the idea is good, the resolution has no merit because it is taking a decision for the Ministry of Finance which we don’t have the authority to do. This resolution cannot go forward because we can’t control it,” said Brown.

However, Barnswell shot back, “It would be foolhardy for us to sit here and see our citizens complaining miserably day after day about uncollected garbage and we do nothing about it. Chairman, this resolution is indicating to service providers that we at the CMC will not sit idly by and pay scant regard to the services that they are giving the people of this parish. The NSWMA is an agency of Government. I think, as one of their customers, we have a right to say we are not satisfied with the service they are giving the parish of Clarendon.”

It was “dishonest” he said, for the agency to accept payment without providing an acceptable level of service and it was important that a “message” be sent to them.

While conceding that there were serious challenges with garbage collection in the parish, Councillor Joel Williams (JLP, Denbigh Division) sought to put the issue in context, referencing the problems being faced nationally and previous updates provided by central government. Williams pointed out that Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie had apologised to the entire country.

“He knows of the challenges we are facing but it’s because there are not enough trucks in the system. He went further to explain to us that the Government had to shift much funds that were allocated for the purchase of 100 garbage trucks to the MOH [Ministry of Health] because of the [novel coronavirus] pandemic,” said Williams.

However, Councillor Anthony O’Connor (PNP, Crofts Hill Division), who seconded Barnswell’s resolution, was unimpressed with that line of reasoning.

“The constituents I represent don’t want to hear about monies being shifted for the sake of COVID when their garbage is overflowing their containers because that is not a compromise. It is from one thing to the other, when we have an infestation of rats and roaches that leads to other medical problems,” he argued. “It’s like we are [agreeing to either be] killed by COVID or… by leptospirosis. Even though we are not writing the cheque, the monies were paid by the citizens of this parish for their property tax which pays for garbage collection. So we have to at least send a suggestion to the ministry that we are paying for services not rendered,” he argued.

Councillor Carlton Bailey (PNP, Milk River Division) added his voice to the call to send a message to the NSWMA.

“I think the NSWMA is collecting money under false pretences. Even if we don’t have the authority to pressure the Ministry of Finance, we need to let it be known that we are upset. If we have a serious case of leptospirosis it will make COVID look like a baby. This is not politics, this is for the safety of all human beings,” he urged.

In an attempt to quell flaring tempers Mayor Winston Maragh explained that 50 trucks will be paid for in this financial year and should arrive in the next financial year.

“The NSWMA has also been searching for trucks for hire. If we make the suggestion to withhold funds from the NSWMA, how will that help the situation?” he questioned.

At this point the nine councillors elected on a JLP ticket voted against approving the resolution.

Noting that all JLP councillors had voted against the resolution and none had abstained, Barnswell exited the room, followed by the other six councillors elected on a PNP ticket.