The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Davis administration pledged to change the local government law to enhance the institution in Family Islands, but said nothing about introducing local government in New Providence during yesterday’s Speech from The Throne.

In the Blueprint for Change, the Progressive Liberal Party’s pre-election manifesto, the party committed to creating a local government regime in New Providence.

However, little has been said about this since then.

The Minnis administration also promised to introduce local government to New Providence, but failed to do so.

“My government will implement a new Local Government Bill that will enhance the operations and responsibilities of local government throughout our family of islands,” Governor General Cynthia “Mother” Pratt said during yesterday’s speech.

“My government will also take local government concepts to our children, and so it will re-implement a junior Local Government Council throughout the Family Islands.”

Last year, former Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Clay Sweeting said the government hired consultants to redraft the Local Government Act to give more power to Family Island councils, including greater ability to raise revenue.

“Local government in the Family Islands is lacking,” he told reporters. “There are a lot of things that we need to change. We have had two consultants that are looking at the Local Government Act and how we can help raise the bar in local government in the Family Islands because they just become a holding fund to pay salaries and regular payments in the Family Islands and not really be transformative in that regard.