The Saint Thomas Parish Council came about after the Morant Bay Rebellion, where it was first known as the Vestry Board. The Vestry Board was operated by the Anglican Church in Morant Bay.
The name was changed to the Parochial Board, which was as a result of a disparity between the Vestry Board and the Government, who was responsible for the funding of the Board.
The name was then changed twice thereafter, and finally called the Parish Council. At that time the primary role of the Parish Council was to maintain law and order during election to ensure that the roadways were cleared.
The St. Thomas Parish Council akin to all other Parish Council, is governed and guided by many acts, especially the PARISH COUNCILS ACT ( August 7, 1901)the Parochial Rates and Finance Act 1981, which guide the establishment, election of committees and the financial management of the Council.
The many Acts give the Council the legal powers to enforce a number of laws and to regulate how the communities are shaped and maintained through its services. The Council, therefore, acts as an integrator, coordinator, regulator and facilitator.
Section 3 of the Parish Councils Act states that “The Parish Council shall be composed of one Councillor for each electoral division of the Parish constituted in accordance with the provisions of section 10.” The life of the Council/Councillor for a political administration is three (3) years; but it can be extended by Parliament.
There are ten (10) electoral divisions in St. Thomas, namely:
St. Thomas Western
Llandewey
Yallahs
White Horses
Seaforth
Cedar Valley
Trinityville
St. Thomas Eastern
Bath
Morant Bay
Port Morant
Dalvey
Structure
The St. Thomas Parish Council is headed by the Mayor (refer to Parochial Act of 1901) and it is divided into two arms:
- The Political Arm
- Administrative Arm
The Secretary/ Manager is in charge of the Administrative Arm, while the Mayor is in charge of the Political Arm. The sitting Mayor is Ludlow Mathison and the Secretary/Manager is Mr. Errol C. Greene .JP
Administrative Arm
The Administrative Arm of the Council is the Secretariat. It is responsible for carrying out all the administrative tasks, regulating all activities as well as delivering the various services provided by the Council in accordance with