Skerrit: Mayor of Roseau may be full-time job

The incoming mayor may not have to seek other forms of employment since the country's leader wants to make the post a full time one.

During his address at the 11th inaugural meeting of the Roseau City Council at the Arawak House of Culture on Friday, Prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit, said the role of mayor is one of many responsibilities and should have one dedicated to the task.

He said the time was ripe for them to look at the matter seriously.

"My submission would be for us to consider having the mayor of the city of Roseau as a full time post, and not as a part time responsibility…with the appropriate remuneration," he said.

He also promised to work with the council on various programmes and projects that he would like to undertake to improve the city.

"I would also like to solicit you to partner with the government in its efforts towards the reconstruction of the sidewalks and drains in the city, and also with the housing revolution so that we can continue to address the needs of the residents of the city who I know have a very serious housing challenge," Skerrit said

The Prime Minister also cautioned, Irene John, the new mayor, to be ready for the coming task, since she will be encountering a team of persons with different ideas, personalities, thinking and approaches,

"At the end of the day you as a leader must ensure that you provide the leadership and guidance for the whole of the council and the city.

Leadership is not easy, because at the end of the day the bucks stops with you, and when things are going okay it is everybody else. When things go bad, it's the leader, so you have to understand that," he said.

He mentioned that he was confident that Mayor John has what it takes to take the city to newer heights, and thanked outgoing mayor Cecil Joseph and his team for a work well done.

Skerrit also mentioned that one can point to a number of achievements that the council achieved under Joseph's leadership.

"But one of the very important areas of focus of former mayor Joseph was that of education, not only at the primary level and the secondary level with the provision of scholarships, but the mayor was able to establish a strong and fruitful relationship with Monroe College where a number of students were able to benefit from full scholarships and also partial scholarships," he said.