Ms. Chervita Campbell, Chief Councillor for the City of Freeport is pictured here with her Deputy, Nevar Lionel Smith, a 27- year-old newcomer to Local Government.
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FREEPORT, Grand Bahama
– Ms Chervita Khadine Campbell was voted in as the new Chief Councillor for the
City of Freeport District Council, Monday June 23, replacing Kevin Rupert
Ferguson.
And Nevar Lionel
Smith, a 27-year-old radio personality from Mix 102.1 FM is the new Deputy
Chief Councillor.
The nine-member
Council was sworn into office, June 25, in the meeting room of the National
Insurance Board office in Freeport, by City Administrator Alexander Williams.
Ms. Campbell, a
36-year-old Guidance Counsellor from the Jack Hayward High School, contested
the Marco City area and was the top vote-getter among the eight persons vying
for the three Councillor positions, with 626 votes. Finishing second was Kevin
Ferguson with 433 votes and Mrs. Omes Lockhart-Lightbourne finished third with
395 votes.
In Central Grand
Bahama Marco Carey and Mrs. Frazette Gibson secured the vast majority of votes
among the six persons contesting and was also sworn in as Councillors on
Wednesday.
In East Grand Bahama,
Chavaz Campbell and Nevar Lionel Smith emerged the winners among the seven
persons contesting. Also making it to the Council were Ms. Melvina Albury and
Clifton Francis who out-polled two others in the Pineridge Constituency.
Permanent Secretary in
the Ministry for Grand Bahama, Melvin Seymour, congratulated the new
Councillors, and also applauded the unsuccessful candidates noting they showed
a keen desire of wanting to serve.
He told Councillors:
“You have taken oath today to serve in a very sacred office, an office of
trust, and I wish to say to you that you should and truly take seriously the
oath that you would have taken this morning.”
COUNCILLORS FOR FREEPORT – Member of the City of Freeport Local Government Council are pictured after being sworn in on Wednesday morning. Left to right seated are: Rev. Peter Pinder, President of the Grand Bahama Christian Council; Nevar Lionel Smith, Deputy Chief Councillor; Alexander Williams, Administrator, City of Freeport; Ms. Chervita Khadine Campbell, Chief Councillor; and Mr. Melvin Seymour, Permanent Secretary, Ministry for Grand Bahama. Standing left to right are Councillors Marco Antonio Carey, Omes Lockhart-Lightbourne, Kevin Ferguson, Frazette Gibson, Clifton Francis, Melvina Albury, and C. McMahon Campbell. (BIS Photos / Vandyke Hepburn)
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He called on
Councillors to communicate openly with each other and to work as a team,
treating each other with respect and encouragement, and also reminding them
that they were elected to do a job.
“You must show a
desire to work hard. You must work hard
with a passion and dedication. You
should motivate and you should inspire, always giving hope to those who elected
you, those in various communities around you,” he stated.
Chief Councillor
Campbell thanked the Almighty God and her parents for affording her the
opportunity.
“I want to thank also
the elected officials. Definitely we are
on a new vision, new direction. It is my desire, and I am pledging today that I
would work with each and every one of you in the capacity for you to serve your
communities and the greater good of the island.
“And, our effort does
not just stop within the City of Freeport! Our efforts extend for the whole
island of Grand Bahama, and therefore all persons will feel the City of
Freeport Council District,” she stated.
This marks the second
consecutive time that Ms. Campbell has been elected to the local government
board.