AS LOCAL Government elections draw nearer, the role of secretary managers and mayors within the Parish Councils will come into focus.

Some 495 persons representing the People's National Party (PNP), the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and other participating political parties will be seeking to establish their foothold in the 227 divisions that make up the 12 Parish Councils and the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation. Among these, a number of mayors will emerge, but none will fill any existing vacancies for secretary managers.

According to David Parkes, secretary manager for the Portland Parish Council, his role as secretary manager is indeed an important one, as he sees himself as "ensuring that all decisions related to national policies and strategies are made, and to constantly give recommendations for a council decision on all matters dealing with the council's affairs."

Many persons, however, may not be aware of the difference in responsibilities for the mayor and secretary managers, since the office of mayor has been much more a long-standing part of the Jamaican constitution than the office of secretary manager.

The widely accepted standard is that the mayor is a political appointee while the secretary manager is a professional position which is filled based on academic qualifications, management experience and abilities only.

There is a clear distinction between the two, and according to Alfred Graham, secretary manager for the Manchester Parish Council, "The mayor is the Chairman of Council, while secretary managers are chief administrative officers." Their role he says, is "to ensure that the decisions of the council are carried out in accordance with the established laws, regulations and guidelines." So according to him, mayors are responsible for the policy-making aspect of things while secretary managers are responsible for administering these policies.