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A former procureur and local logistics expert is the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring for the role of Constable of St. John.
Non-Executive Chair of Jersey Business, who says he is now "semi-retired," Andy Jehan (57) declared his intention to stand following the resignation of Chris Taylor.
Mr Taylor was declared “not fit for office” and ordered to step down by the Royal Court last week due to his dangerous driving conviction, use of parish funds to pay his legal bills, which he later paid back, and continued protestations of innocence.
On Thursday, Mr Taylor confirmed his resignation, and an election date of Wednesday 28 April was set by the Royal Court the following day.
Mr Jehan was procureur of the Parish of St. John - a role that involves looking after the parish's finances - for eight years before stepping down in 2014. He has also served as a Constable’s Officer, Roads Inspector and Secretary to the Honorary Police among other roles. Currently, he is a trustee of St. John’s Recreation Centre.
Outside of parish life, Mr Jehan specialises in logistics, having spent 38 years working for Jersey Post, and acting as Director of Logistics and Transport for the 2015 Island Games. At present, he works part-time as a consultant for a local logistics company.
Pictured: Mr Jehan's expertise lies in logistics.
“With my varied roles and experiences working in the Parish, business and third sector I feel well positioned to lead the Parish at this challenging time and to once again give back to the local community which I am proud to be a part of,” Mr Jehan said.
“My focus would be on the Parish, with a particular focus on strengthening communication and community involvement. I would like to see us set up a formal Community Group to support people, particularly our senior citizens, as has been done throughout covid.
“Now is the time to come together as a Parish and move forwards as we approach the end of lockdown. I have a number of practical ideas to help improve things for individuals, as well as groups and businesses. I would also take my States responsibilities very seriously and work to ensure that the Government is held to account, particularly with regards to its spending plans. I am also interested in the areas of the Economy, Environment and Transport.”
Paying tribute to the departing Constable’s “valuable service”, Mr Jehan commented: “…I was involved in the original Village working party 10 years ago that identified the need for a playing field for the school - Chris has recently got planning approval for this. It’s an exciting project that needs to be delivered, along with the much-needed new homes for first-time buyers.”
Formal nominations of candidates will take place on Wednesday 31 March, and the successful candidate will be sworn in two days after the election on Friday 30 April.
While Mr Taylor won't be attending States Assembly meetings, he will remain in post and able to carry out parish duties until his successor is decided.
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