San Fernando is the second largest municipality after Chaguanas and comprises nine electoral districts. In 2013, the People’s National Movement (PNM) regained control of the corporation.
On Friday, the former borough, which was elevated to the status of a city on November 18, 1988, will celebrate 28 years.
While the PNM-controlled council may have gained victory three years ago, several upset and frustrated supporters said they will not vote for the ruling party because of lack of proper representation.
Some on the other hand said even though they hardly ever saw their councillors or got their issues addressed, they would still cast their vote for the PNM to ensure it emerged victorious once more.
The electoral districts that make up the regional corporation are Marabella West, Marabella East, Marabella South/Vistabella, Pleasantville, Cocoyea/Tarouba, Mon Repos/Navet, Springvale/Paradise, Les Efforts West/La Romaine and Les Efforts East/Cipero.
The Sunday Guardian visited parts of the corporation and spoke to several burgesses. We asked them whom they would be voting for, why they would vote for that person or party and what were their concerns.
There was a mixture of responses but one thing was certain, many were not too pleased.
‘Plenty unemployment’
A group of men drinking at a bar on St Andrews Avenue, Cocoyea, on Thursday took a few minutes to say who was their councillor. They were unsure.
One man blurted out, “Rowley doing stupidness.” He did not give his name.
Asked what were some of their concerns over the last three years, Kerron Gray, the spokesman for the group, said, “There is plenty unemployment around here. The brothers and them have no work. The facilities down the hill have to complete...like the football field and thing. They installed lights but they not working.”
He was referring to the Cocoyea Recreation Ground which was officially opened in August last year.
While the grass on the field was neatly cut, the outskirts of it were overgrown with bushes.
Gray added there were “some road problems” on Park Street East. The group of men said they will be voting for the election.
Asked why they will vote, one man said jokingly, “Because we voting racial.”
He did not give his name but said voting based on race “was a fact.”
“That is what the country doing. We will support them because this is one of the PNM stronghold. (Patrick) Manning originally from this street so this is the original foundation for the PNM.”
Another man in the group said even if they did not vote, the PNM would still win.
Men on de Coffee upset
Liming on the pavement close to Lower Hillside, “On de Coffee,” a group of men started to vent but only Darryl Vincent was brave enough to give his name and express his feelings.
Vincent said, “The only person I see come around and did something for this community here was under the UNC government and you see right now, the present Government is holding back on plenty resources to the youths in this community. They are not coming out at all to put programmes in this area.”
He said he had not seen much of the councillor and it seemed they were “hibernating”. He was upset. His voice quickly escalated.
He said, “They want to come in your mailbox and put a little card. There is a woman going up right now under the PNM and she is doing the same thing. We ain’t see this person you know, but they dropping mails and pamphlets.”
Gray’s hope was that councillors become more active and deal with the people on the ground. He said they needed to be more active.
Seated outside the Blind Welfare Association, the man pointed to the pavements and sidewalks.
“There is no amber lights. It have blind people crossing. Look at that walkway coming down there, it is lower than the road level and blind people does be dropping there and coming down.”
He said in front of the building would flood whenever it rained.
Gray said “ageable” people would normally lime in that area and thanked former mayor Kazim Hosein for donating material to construct a mini-like pavilion “to relax.”
Asked if he would vote, Gray went on to criticise deputy mayor Junia Regrello, whom he said would “pass up and down” but never asked what were their issues.
“Could anybody around here with their right sense put him? I for sure eh voting for none of them. I rather the Opposition come and try something. I rather try something like how America do it,” Gray said.
He added that he had lost confidence in the current adminstration.
He said, “People in Trinidad need to get off their butts and understand what is going on with this present regime because is like a dictatorship.”
One man who said the Government had done nothing for him said he did not care again.
He said he was not supporting any party and would continue to ensure that he took care of himself and his family.
“It don’t make a difference who win or not as far as I am concerned. The Government don’t help me. I don’t even care about a councillor. If you ask me who it is I don’t even know a name. I don’t care.”
He said he hoped that one day poor people could walk the road with a smile on their face and that right now, “If you walk the road, you will see people faces with frustration, agony and disgust.”
Fishermen want better conditions
Meanwhile, down by the fish market on King's Wharf, a 32-year-old fisherman said he was still awaiting a new abattoir which was promised during the election campaign. Frustrated, the young man said, “It just not making sense to vote. We need somebody to form a new party. Government in government out, it is the same thing. I am not pleased.”
He did not state his name. The man said people living on the line were promised electricity but were still waiting.
His councillor was unknown to him and he had not yet seen the new candidate.
“I am not casting my vote because it is only promises that are not being fulfilled. The only time they come around is election time to make more promises. They will do something at that point only to get some votes.”
Close by, fisherman Courtney Cummings was cleaning a table of fresh fish. His friends — Mr Hicks, Justin Thorpe and Corey Edmond—praised Hosein as mayor but said they still wanted to see more. The men took a while to distinguish between the Local Government elections and the general elections. They began a discussion on their MP Faris Al-Rawi and then soon realised it was their local councillor they should be talking about.
They wanted a new market and for the surroundings to be cleaned on a regular basis.
Mr Hicks said, “It is a sure vote for the PNM but why they does wait until last minute? I cannot understand that and the majority of the councillors do that. Why wait until election time then to make an appearance?”
Meanwhile, Edmond said he would vote for the PNM. “We have to vote back the PNM.”
However, the men agreed, “They are not studying the people on the ground.”
Mr Hicks said, “The corporation is PNM so we have to give them a little play again.”