By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Minnis administration intends to extend local government to New Providence by the time local government elections come around again in three years, Press Secretary Anthony Newbold said yesterday.
Family Island residents will vote in local government elections this year on Wednesday.
Ever since local government began in 1996, there have been calls for it to be extended to New Providence and enhanced in the Family Islands.
Nicola Virgill-Rolle, who headed the National Development Plan (NDP) Secretariat, will head the committee focused on expanding local government, Mr Newbold said.
The government will be assisted by the Inter-American Development Bank.
In the Family Islands, districts have councils through local government.
District councillors are elected by the population of a district.
Earlier this month, The Tribune reported that more young people from Grand Bahama, particularly Freeport, have offered themselves as candidates this year for the upcoming local government elections, a process that is expected to be "very competitive".
Freeport Administrator Preston Cunningham told The Tribune previously that this is the first time that so many young persons have nominated since the introduction of local government in 1996.
In Freeport alone, a total of 34 candidates have nominated, and many newcomers have stepped forward seeking to represent their communities at the local level.
Comments
sheeprunner12 6 years, 10 months ago
Three things must happen to make local government effectively work in Nassau:
(1) The constituency boundaries must be standardized along MAIN roads ..... not the pretzel shapes that currently exist ........ This will allow for traditional communities to evolve local leaders ......... Will each polling division have one LG rep per constituency?????
(2) The number of NP constituencies will have to be reduced to allow for division of labour between the central and locally elected leaders ....... who will do what?????, ....... and at what further expense to an already challenged Treasury?????
(3) A system of checks and balances must be created between central and local government to ensure that collusion/malfeasance, conflict of interest and power-sharing do not hinder social development ......... For example, how does the MP and his office use the constituency allowance to complement the LG Office budget?????? ...... and how will a LG budget be constructed for use in Nassau (as compared to Cat Island or Bimini???)
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