KINGSTON, Jamaica — Kingston Mayor Andrew Swaby has issued a compelling appeal to the national government, urging comprehensive consultations with municipal corporations before implementing two significant structural reforms. The proposed changes include reinstating a centralized permit system for entertainment events and creating a unified One Road Authority to oversee Jamaica’s road infrastructure management.
In a formal statement, Mayor Swaby expressed deep concerns that both initiatives represent a troubling shift toward centralization that could fundamentally undermine municipal governance structures. He emphasized that local authorities have developed decades of expertise in managing parochial roads, community infrastructure, and entertainment event regulations.
“Municipal corporations have established the necessary systems, operational capacity, and collaborative partnerships to execute these responsibilities effectively and efficiently,” Swaby asserted. He highlighted the integral role local governments play in coordinating with police departments, the Jamaica Fire Brigade, and health and sanitation teams to ensure event safety and regulatory compliance.
The mayor warned that removing these core functions would essentially strip local governments of their purpose and authority. “These proposals would diminish accountability, distance decision-making from communities, and marginalize local authorities who possess the most intimate understanding of community needs,” Swaby stated. He clarified that while not opposed to reform principles, he strongly objects to implementation without proper consultation.
Swaby proposed a nationwide municipal engagement process featuring formal dialogues with all municipal corporations, technical workshops with roads and works departments, public forums across parishes, and comprehensive impact assessments. He stressed that any governance restructuring must be founded on transparency, empirical evidence, and decentralization principles.
“We remain prepared to collaborate with the national government while firmly defending local government integrity,” Swaby concluded. “Vibrant communities require empowered local authorities. Rather than sidelining municipal systems, we should strengthen them to function as central service providers.”