By Rayon Dyer, Gleaner Writer
Myers
ST. ELIZABETH:
PRESIDENT OF the Jamaica United Local Government Representatives Association (JULGRA), J.A.G Myers, has called on the Government to honour the salary increase due to the island's parish councillors since last October and April 2003.
Speaking with The Gleaner, Mr. Myers said that the increase would have pushed up the annual gross salary of the Mayor of the Kingston & St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC) to $2.6 million, up from $1.7 million, while the Mayor of Montego Bay would have his salary increased also. He said the other parish mayors would see their salaries increase to $2 million. However, the councillors' pay would rise to just over $1 million per annum.
Mr. Myers, who is a former Mayor of Black River, said that several disgruntled councillors have said that Members of Parliament received the first 20 per cent of their increases last year and would receive another 20 per cent last March if the salaries to parliamentarians were not frozen by the Prime Minister. "But, despite all of that, we have not got our increase on salaries.
"My association will continue to lobby the authorities to honour this important piece of Local Government reform as it relates to councillors getting better pay. We're also concerned about their travelling and other allowances," the JULGRA president said.
He also noted that councillors who did not seek re-election in the June 19 Local Government elections are anxious for the increase since their pension will be pegged to the salaries paid at final payment and should be equitable among all mayors, deputy mayors and councillors, based on adjustment to anomalies.
