St. George's town crier E. Michael Jones and Mariea Caisey are to stand for mayor in next month's election on a ticket of ending double taxation.

The pledge echoes that made by retiring mayor Henry Hayward when he beat Mr. Jones for the post in October 2000.

The Royal Gazette understands former alderman Ross Smith, who also ran last time, is standing again. In 2000 Mr. Hayward polled 106 votes, Mr. Jones 83 votes and Ross Smith 65 votes. Mariea Caisey, who topped the poll for alderman last time, is now running for mayor while Terry Roberts, who was also an alderman, is mulling whether to stand for the top post. The election is set for November 6, with nomination day a week earlier.

Announcing his intention to help scrap local taxes in St. George's Mr. Jones said it was unfair residents had to pay extra for hedge trimming and garbage collection when other parishes were served by Works and Engineering.

The old town had a tax base of around $100,000 compared to Hamilton where new businesses and buildings had provided much more revenue, said Mr. Jones, and led them to employ 100-plus workers compared to the St. George's team of fewer than 20. He said a grant of around $1 million was needed to solve St. George's chronic sewage problems which saw old cast iron pipes regularly crack, spilling water and sewage.

Another pledge is to implement plans for a boardwalk from Somer's Wharf to the White Horse Tavern.

"I would like to see us do away with the double taxation for things such as garbage collection and hedge pruning, these things the rest of the island gets on a complimentary basis."

The 51-year-old businessman, who owns coffee shops in Hamilton and St. George's and a flower shop and souvenir shop in the east end, is also pledging to campaign to keep a meaningful Police station in St. George's.

"I don't mean some little building for someone to have a cup of coffee."

He has served on the Corporation for nine years including as a councillor and alderman. But he said if elected to the top post he would have to review his position as town crier.

Mr. Jones told The Royal Gazette he would lobby Government for a high bridge like Watford Bridge to link Blue Hole Hill with Stonecrusher Corner on Kindley Field Road after stressing the problems St. George's residents had suffered with the Causeway partially out of action.

He said this hampered commuting, school runs, deliveries and getting rid of Fabian debris.

He said: "I have always been an advocate of a Watford Bridge type of solution coming from Blue Hole Hill to Stone Crusher Corner."

This would allow high boating traffic, currently barred from disrupting the Causeway between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., uninterrupted passage and would eliminate the need for staff to operate the bridge.

Watford Bridge had stood up to Fabian, noted Mr. Jones, and he said St. George's with its oil dock and airport was too important to leave stranded during emergencies.

He said a Coney Island link, as put forward by Quinton Edness, would need two motorised bridges and would be exposed to a battering from the north shore.

Mariea Caisey, a 51-year-old manager at the Bank of Bermuda's corporate data department, has spent five years on the Corporation and said she wanted to implement outstanding issues including ending double taxation and getting a developer in at the empty Club Med site.

Asked why the double taxation issue had not been resolved during Mr. Hayward's term, she said: "We have not been talking as much as we should over the past three years. I hope if I am successful I might have a better relationship with Government."

She said the ball was in Government's court but she could not say why more progress hadn't been made while St. George's MP Jennifer Smith was Premier.

She said there had been quite a bit of interest in the Club Med property but it had fallen by the wayside. The project was important to bring jobs and make sure visitors coming to see the world heritage site had a large place to stay, said Ms Caisey.

Asked about the bridge link she said it was a problem for the engineers but she was against a link through Coney Island.