The newly appointed Mayor of Lenakel Town Municipal Council, Nakou Samuel, is currently in Port Vila after taking up office a week ago to present the Council’s budget to the Local Authorities office.
While the town already has access to tar-sealed roads, and electricity generation from UNELCO, in his list of development plans is a green space or park area for the people that visit Lenakel Town to enjoy.
The Government grants received by the council is normally Vt6 million and the Council raises another Vt6 million but this year it is expecting an increase from its grant by another Vt5 million.
He says the budget presentation that his council made to the Local Authority has been accepted.
Tanna’s Municipal council operates differently from Port Vila and Luganville as it is a model municipal created in Vanuatu for the people of Vanuatu.
The election of the municipal is held within the jurisdictions of the Municipalities Act but chiefs appoint their people to be in the council.
The election of mayor is overseen by the Department of Local Authority and the Electoral Office.
When it was initiated, councillors were selected from just around Lenakel but the recent increase of councillors by Minister of Internal Affairs, Andrew Napuat, has decided to include councillors from North, East, West and Middle Bush of Tanna.
When the council began, there were 13 councillors and there were recommendations to reduce the number but it has now been increased by the Minister of Internal Affairs to 16.
Mayor Nakou says the increase in councilors was the decision of the Minister of Internal Affairs.
He is the second mayor to be appointed to the position in the third term of the council after the first mayor held office for two terms.
The initiators of the model municipal are former member of parliament Joe Natuman, along with the Department of Local Authorities.
Mayor Samuel confirmed that there are youth representatives in the council as well as church representative and a female councilor.