Economy of Scotts Head Village

Village Councils, in particular, have had remarkable growth. Over the fifty years of their existence, they have moved from one Village Board in 1934, to ten (10) Village Councils in 1963, to twenty (20) in 1968, to thirty (30) in 1975 and thirty-seven (37) in 2002. These Councils have served Dominica well over the years, regulating undesirable activities in their communities and undertaking a variety of development projects.

These projects include the construction and maintenance of village roads, water supplies, health centres, playing fields, public conveniences, and community centres. In addition, they ensure that the communities are kept in proper sanitary conditions, and serve as a Central Government agents for the distribution of public assistance to Indigent community members and as a channel through which information on Central Government policies and programmes are conveyed to the local communities. Community concerns are usually transmitted to central government by written correspondence, delegations of local Councils calling on Central Government officials and public discussion held in their communities with members of Cabinet. They provide a vital link between the Central Government and the local communities.

Local Government is a form of political decentralization intended to encourage local autonomy and popular participation in a country’s decision making process.

Dominica’s system was introduced during the period of direct British rule and has evolved over the years from a solitary Board in the capital to a network comprising forty-one (41) Local Authorities.

Local Government literally means government at the local area. It is a system of institutionalized political decentralization which fosters local autonomy and poplar participation in the life and