Lysia Lynch, Gleaner Writer

( L - R ) Guy, Richardson

St. Mary has an estimated population of 111,466 persons and is recognised as the fifth smallest parish in Jamaica. The decline in the main industries of agriculture and tourism, deteriorating roads and poor social services have made St. Mary, according to the Planning Institute of Jamaica, one of the poorest parishes.

In the coming election, the constituency of Central St. Mary will be contested by Dr. Morais Guy of the People's National Party (PNP) and Lennon Richardson of the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP).

Deplorable roads

Although there are a plethora of small businesses, this constituency is riddled with deplorable roads. This is most evident in the parish capital, Port Maria, which also suffers from severe flooding.

In Port Maria there is also a hospital, a so-called Type C institution, which refers to institutions that are the smallest, and provide in-patient and out-patient services in general medicine, child and maternity care.

A resident said she desired an upgrading of the Port Maria Hospital, especially since it lies in the parish capital.

"For too long we have had a hospital that is not up to standard in the parish, we in St. Mary deserve better," she said.

There are other concerns, including a request for improvement in garbage disposal. Currently, there is the absence of a sanitary landfill and so garbage disposal is done at a minimal, which residents indicate result in not just the accumulation of garbage, but an increase in pests.

Apart from the waning agriculture industry in St. Mary Central, there has been an introduction of a new industry, tourism. The Robin's Bay Village and Beach Resort is the newest hotel in the parish. Its concept is community and environmental tourism.

Not enough jobs

Despite that, residents feel there aren't enough jobs in the communities. Thus, the direction they would like to see the constituency take is one where more tourist resorts are created. This, they feel, will lead to the improvement of the roads, job creation, the improvement of the infrastructure in the parish capital and the creation of functioning bus or taxi parks in Port Maria and Highgate.

In recent times, tertiary campuses have been set up in this constituency, first Moneague College and, most recently, the International University of the Caribbean.