Failing grade for parish councillors
published:
Friday | November 30, 2007
Jamaicans have given a failing grade to their parish councillors in at least six critical areas of service, according to a recent Gleaner-commissioned Bill Johnson poll.
Less than a week before the country decides which of the two major political parties should control local government, Johnson and his team of researchers found that the majority of Jamaicans were not satisfied with the work currently being done by the parish councils.
The survey, conducted on November 24 and 25 in 84 communities across the country, showed that 64 per cent of the 1,008 persons interviewed said that their parish councillors had done a poor job with respect to parish council roads.
On the installation and maintenance of street lights, 36 per cent of respondents gave a poor grade to parish councils, while 27 per cent felt the councils did a pretty good job.
Fire service
Parish councillors also received a poor mark for the performance of the fire service. When asked to rate the job the parish councils were doing with respect to firefighters, 27 per cent of respondents said their performance was poor.
Another responsibility of the parish councils - that of the management and maintenance of the markets - was found wanting, with 45 per cent of the persons interviewed saying they did a poor job in this area.
Turning to garbage collection, 39 per cent of respondents felt that the parish councils did a pretty good job with a similar number giving a failing grade.
The parish councils were also assessed to determine their level of efficiency in providing water in standpipes and water tanks. In this area, respondents again gave the parish councils a poor rating.
