Despite having the requisite power to get things done in communities across the country, most Jamaicans are of the view that their parish councillors are performing below average.

A recent Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll conducted on November 24 and 25 showed that 38 per cent of a sample of 1,008 persons in 84 communities across the country feel that parish councillors have a "great deal" of power to carry out their duties in the parish.

Another 30 per cent of the people polled say the local authorities have some, but not much power; 18 per cent say they have very little influence, while 14 per cent don't know.

Johnson and his team of researchers also found that 58 per cent of those interviewed disapproved of the job being done by parish councils, with only 23 per cent expressing approval. The poll also showed that 19 per cent of the respondents were not sure.

The survey has a plus or minus three per cent margin of error.

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