Mayor Hosts First-Ever Meeting With Funeral Homes

Mayor of Castries, Peterson Francis, invited the three local funeral homes, namely Crick’s, Lazarus and Rambally’s, to a meeting on Monday afternoon.

The meeting chaired by Francis sought to address a plethora of issues which have been plaguing the funeral homes and the Castries Constituency Council.

“The problems associated with the administration of the Choc Cemetery were brought to my attention upon assuming office. Some individuals have been involved in highhandedness, collecting monies under the carpet and accommodating customers without the knowledge of Council in some instances. This cannot be fair to a grieving family. It cannot and will not be business as usual. This must be done in a structured manner,” said Francis.

The Mayor has promised better coordination of burials, appointing a point person to manage the facility, reductions on tombs and burials and minimizing workers’ overtime which would in turn reduce the cost to funeral homes.

As such, Francis intends to improve the service provided at the Choc Cemetery.

Last year, in an effort to lessen the high cost of engaging contractors, a backhoe was procured to conduct works at the Choc Cemetery.

Francis said the meeting was the first of many and emphasized the need to not only improve the services provided but also make it comfortable and affordable for families.