Local Government Vision

The premier government organisation in the Caribbean that facilitates the development of communities that can deliver sustainable first world services through modern, participatory, autonomous and adaptive systems, for the benefit of all citizens.

Mission

To provide a sound policy, legal, technical and administrative framework that supports excellent service delivery and operational management by the Local Authorities and portfolio agencies, in a manner that advances the ideals of effective local governance and the goals of sustainable, community development, through a  purpose-driven and competent work force.

The Ministry of Local Government & Community Development

Role & Functions 

The Ministry of Local Government and Community Development acts as the agent of local development. This covers the areas of:

•          Development planning,
•          Minor water supplies,
•          Municipal parks & beautification,
•          Markets,
•          Parochial road maintenance,
•          Poor relief,
•          Street lighting,
•          Solid waste management,
•          Fire services,
•          Disaster preparedness and emergency management
•          Local government amenities i.e. abattoirs, pounds and cemeteries
•          Local government reform was added when a Reform Unit was established 1994 guided by a policy paper written a year earlier as well as extensive discussions on the issues over the years.

The responsibility for local development has been linked to various other subjects in the past in keeping with the policy position and priority of successive Political Administration.

• 1996: Ministry of Local Government Youth Sport and Culture,
• 1998: Ministry of Local Government and Works, 

and more recently, 

• 2002-2006: Ministry of Local Government, Community Development and Sports
• March 2006-Aug 2007: the Ministry of Local Government and Environment 
• Sept of 2007-Dec 2011: the responsibility for local government was assigned to the Office of the Prime Minister
• January 2011: Ministry of Local Government and Community Development.

When the responsibility for local government was moved to the Office of the Prime Minister in September 2007 it was with the mandate of accelerating the pace of local government reform and capacity building within the Local Authorities through implementation of key recommendations of the National Advisory Council (NAC) on local government reform.  These recommendations are centered on four main areas:

• Governance: Democracy & Transparency
• Finance & Funding
• StructureFunction and
• Legal Framework
• The Ministry continues to pursue this mandate 

Structure

The Ministry dispenses its function through Five (5) agencies and Fourteen (14) local authorities namely;

• Jamaica Fire Brigade,
• Board of Supervision (which is responsible for the nation’s infirmaries)
• The National Solid Waste Management Authority -NSWMA
• Social Development Commission -SDC
• Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management -ODPEM
• 14 Municipal Corporations - Local Authorities