Audit: St James Parish Council - Expanding the purse strings to better serve

WESTERN BUREAU: THE ST. James Parish Council is wringing its hands in frustration over the refusal of taxi operators to use designated taxi stands, and the organisation is convinced that one sure way of netting additional revenue, must be to levy fines for traffic breaches.

Secretary/Manager of the St. James Parish Council, Chris-topher Powell, argued that, "during late November, we ensured that proper facilities were in place at the taxi stand at St. Claver Avenue before we insisted that they use the location. Even so, very few of the drivers are using that location and they continue to park along the streets."

When The Gleaner carried out its own checks, it also found that taxi operators are also defiant in utilising the Transportation Centre on Barnett Street.

The Secretary/Manger is anxiously awaiting moves to implement new parking regulations. The St. James Parish Council official is hoping the regulations will become a reality soon, thereby giving the Council the authority to toe vehicles found in no-parking areas, and so benefit from towing and impounding fees.

MUNICIPAL COURT

While agreeing that the Council can rake in big bucks from traffic violations, the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce is underscoring the need for the Council to benefit from new government policy that goes beyond traffic violations.

"We want to see the setting up of a municipal court in Montego Bay," demanded Mark Kerr-Jarrett, former president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce. "The police are stretched. If we had a municipal court, some traffic violations could be put in the hands of municipal wardens."

The Chamber explained that not only would the municipal court help to restore a measure of law and order in the 'Second City', but it would also be able to raise revenue from litter breaches, impounding of stray animals and zoning violations.

TAP TOURISM DOLLARS

Another suggestion on expanding the purse strings of the St. James Parish Council has come from Pearnel Charles, Jamaica Labour Party spokesman on Local Government. Mr. Charles called on the Council to lock horns with the major players in the tourist industry, to improve the parish. Noting that if Parish Councils are to become more effective their revenue base needs to be boosted, Mr. Charles recommended that the income for the Councils not be confined to property taxes, but be allowed to include the proceeds from tax on hotel rooms and departure taxes.

"There is no reason why the St. James Parish Council shouldn't be able to get the proceeds from any taxes levied at the sea and airports and from the tax on hotel rooms," insisted Mr. Charles. "GCT (General Con-sumption Tax) is one of the biggest revenue earning areas, but the Parish Councils currently don't get anything from GCT. Government needs to facilitate their benefiting from that pool of taxes."

Mr. Charles made an impassioned plea for Parish Councils to clean up any negative images that they might have, especially in the awarding of contracts. He said: "In order that the nation can feel comfortable that more revenue should be assigned to Parish Councils, they need to clean up their image and stay away from pork barrel politics."