Spanish Town, St Catherine, 23 June 2026
Councillors in St Catherine have renewed their call for a new home for the parish’s municipal corporation. They say the centuries-old building in Spanish Town where they meet is making them ill and is no longer fit for modern local government.
The issue was raised at the corporation’s general meeting on Thursday, 11 June.
Mould and poor air
Minority Leader Councillor Theresa Turner-Flynn led the complaints. She told the meeting that mould is growing inside the building and that the air quality is poor, and she asked the chairman when members would be able to work in a comfortable setting.
Deputy Mayor Ralston Wilson backed her. He said long hours spent in the building had damaged his health and blamed it for the worst sinus trouble he had ever experienced.
A building steeped in history
The corporation works from a structure that dates back to 1762. It once hosted meetings of Jamaica’s early government, before the capital moved from Spanish Town to Kingston in 1872.
Councillors accepted that the building is an important part of the nation’s heritage. However, they argued that elected representatives need a healthy, modern workplace if they are to serve the people of St Catherine properly.
Responding, Mayor of Spanish Town and corporation chairman Norman Scott said the matter was “in the works”. He did not set out a timetable or say where a new building might go.
Why it matters to residents
Municipal corporations handle building and subdivision approvals, property-related services and many of the everyday matters that affect homeowners, developers and renters. In one of the island’s most populous and fast-growing parishes, the conditions in which council business is done matter to anyone waiting on a planning decision or a local service.
The debate also raises a familiar question for historic towns such as Spanish Town: how to preserve landmark buildings while giving public servants workspaces that are safe and practical. Residents will be watching for details of the mayor’s plan.
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