Hanover councillors propose $200,000 hotel stay

SAMUELS... there is a tendency at the ALGA-J annual general meeting that they want to start the voting before the people who are coming from very far reach the location LUCEA, Hanover — Plans by councillors within the Hanover Municipal Corporation (HMC) for a more than $200,000 overnight stay at a Kingston hotel ahead of the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica (ALGA-J) annual general meeting appear to be in limbo. The stumbling block is belt tightening measures recently announced by central government. During the long-awaited ALGA-J meeting, scheduled for November 20, the association is expected to elect new leadership, with Deputy Mayor of Lucea Andria Dehaney Grant offering herself for the post of vice-president. Given the importance of the meeting, Mayor of Lucea Sheridan Samuels was hoping the corporation would cover the cost of a hotel. “We think it is very important for the councillors of the Hanover Municipal Corporation to attend this general meeting in Kingston at the Conference Centre. Importantly, our own beloved deputy mayor is going up for a vice-president position on ALGA-J, which I think is well-deserved,” Samuels stated during Thursday’s sitting of the HMC monthly general meeting. “There is a tendency at the ALGA-J annual general meeting that they want to start the voting before the people who are coming from very far reach the location. We have decided as a municipal corporation that we are going up the day before, so that we cannot be late to support our own colleague. As such, if we go up the day before, we have to find somewhere to stay. We can’t stay on the street. And of course, the CEO has just confirmed that this is an official business of the corporation. I’m asking that — which we all agree to — for us to be there overnight,” added Samuels in presenting his case. He then called for a motion to be passed. However, the request sparked a lengthy debate when the corporation’s CEO David Gardner pointed to recent travel restrictions and Cabinet directives. “You will notice as well that the local government conference that was scheduled to be held at the Casa Maria Hotel in St Mary was not only put off, but has now been scheduled to be held at the Ministry [of Local Government] itself, free of cost. All these occasions that involve hotel stays, etc, have been eliminated until the end of March 2027. There are several other things included in that — that were sent out by Cabinet — that we are obliged, basically, to hold ourselves to,” explained Gardner. Samuels then queried whether the CEO was in possession of written communication from central government. While Gardner was unable to present the document during the meeting, Samuels suggested that the motion be passed and rescinded at a later date, if necessary, once he had seen the directive. “If there was a communication like that, I thought that you would at least let me understand and not actually come here and embarrass myself,” argued Samuels, who pointed out that he was not aware of such a letter. However, Gardner said Cabinet decision letters, by protocol, are not circulated openly. “Those are protected, so that is not something that can be openly circulated,” explained Gardner, who noted that decisions taken by Cabinet bind the country “I’m just saying, Mr Chairman, I wouldn’t want the council to be making decisions that are not prudent, but timing is important,” advised the CEO. “I will never ask you to do anything that is not within the regulations or the books. I will never ask you to do that. I will never ask you to do anything that is wrong. All we are saying is that when I look at it, if it is clear and straight that this cannot happen, we will rescind it,” Samuels responded. The motion was moved and supported unanimously by all five of the seven councillors present. The Opposition People’s National Party has the majority in the HMC. Samuels later asked councillors to look into alternative accommodation and suggested the possibility of seeking sponsorship. As widely reported by the media, the Government announced a raft of measures late last month instructing public sector entities and workers to cut non-essential spending in response to a $31.3-billion revenue shortfall. As part of the directives, agencies were instructed to pause hotel retreats and keep meetings and celebratory activities strictly within their own office facilities. The cutbacks follow a $34.5-billion reduction in overall government spending after tax collections fell short by $21.7 billion between April and August 2026 — a downturn exacerbated by the economic aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. In addition, the Government instituted an immediate moratorium on non-essential official overseas travel across the entire public sector from October 21, 2026, through March 31, 2027. The moratorium covers Government ministers, state ministers, permanent secretaries, senior officers, agency heads, board members, CEOs, and all public sector employees across ministries, departments, and statutory bodies.