A monthly assembly of the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC) in Jamaica was thrust into procedural turmoil as Councillor Lidden Lewis of the Frome Division initiated an unexpected motion to remove Deputy Mayor Devon Thomas from his appointed role. The proceedings, which unfolded during the Thursday meeting, highlighted significant internal friction within the municipal leadership.
Councillor Lewis presented a formal notice of motion, contending that Deputy Mayor Thomas, who represents the Savanna-la-Mar North Division, had demonstrated a persistent failure in ensuring accountability and transparency within the corporation. “There has been a conspicuous lack of accountability and transparency at the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation,” Lewis asserted. “The deputy mayor has neglected his duty to drive meaningful change and provide adequate support to WMC operations.”
The motion, seconded by Julian Chang of the Savanna-la-Mar Division, was abruptly halted by Mayor Danree Delancy. The mayor ruled the notice inadmissible due to procedural improprieties, specifically its submission outside the mandated timeframe required for such motions.
Following several minutes of deliberation regarding the motion’s legality, Lewis voluntarily withdrew his proposal but indicated his intention to reintroduce it in January. He further requested an explanation from WMC Chief Executive Officer Andre Griffiths regarding why the notice was included in the December meeting agenda if it was destined for rejection. This request was denied.
In a related development, a secondary motion was introduced—and subsequently seconded by Councillor Warren Lyttleton of the Grange Hill Division—proposing that parochial funding allocations for councillors be distributed as a percentage-based model rather than a fixed sum. The outcome of this proposal remains pending future discussion.
Lewis ultimately conceded that a new notice would need to be submitted to the CEO at least eight days prior to the next meeting, in full compliance with established procedural guidelines.