Ralston Wilson on cloud nine

Ralston Wilson, returning councillor for the Ginger Ridge division in West Central St Catherine, said that his narrow victory in the November 28 local government elections, which required a magisterial recount, is the sweetest victory of nine councillors' contests he has won.

Wilson was declared the winner yesterday with a winning margin that increased by two votes, according to a release from the Electoral Office of Jamaica. Wilson received 1,019 to the Jamaica Labour Party's Huit Johnson 1,001.

BEAMING WITH JOY

Wilson told THE STAR that he was beaming because of the manner in which he retained his seat.

"They had more money than I did, and in spite of this, I was able to be victorious," Wilson said.

The veteran councillor will begin his third term for the Ginger Ridge division, and he promised to continue to provide good roads so that farmers would be better able to transport their goods to various markets in St Catherine.

According to Wilson, he spent his last term developing roads like the Tacius Golding School road, Prawl, and Wood Hall.

"I believe the roads are important to enable farmers to transport their goods. I have also built a number of basic schools throughout the division," Wilson said.

Wilson is the longest-serving councillor in Jamaica. He contested his first local government election way back in 1974 when he won the seat for the Brown's Hall division. He has won a councillor's seat in every local government election since 1974, except for the 1981, when he was not re-elected for a third term for the Brown's Hall division.

Wilson has served as councillor for four divisions: Brown's Hall, Old Harbour North, Old Harbour Central, and Ginger Ridge.