Sunday, October 11, 2026
The St James Municipal Corporation has set out a J$1.086 billion capital programme for Montego Bay covering 12 projects, with J$400 million earmarked for urban renewal, including sidewalks and public spaces, and J$56 million for a flood early warning system on the Montego River and the North and South Gullies. A separate J$2.86 billion operating budget is proposed for 2027/28, and no new municipal fees are planned.
Roads are the sore point. The operating budget provides J$172 million for road works across a parish with more than 500 kilometres of parochial roads, and municipal officials acknowledge that is not enough to clear the repair backlog; the worst-affected routes are to be prioritised through community consultation. All of the figures remain proposals, not funded contracts. So when the money covers only the worst stretches, how much further down the road does the rest of the repair bill get kicked?
On a potholed hillside road above Montego Bay that crumbles away into a gully, a brisk official in a dark suit swings his foot at a battered tin can marked “ROAD REPAIRS”, a thin envelope reading “J$172 MILLION” tucked under his arm as he announces “WORST ONES FIRST!”. A roadside signpost reads “500 KM OF ROADS”, while a route taxi sits nose-down in a pothole and neighbours look on from beside the zinc fences.
Read more: Montego Bay Unveils J$1.09bn Capital Plan
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