more thankless jobs in Bermuda politics -- Mayor of St. George's.

The reason it is thankless is because the old town has been in a state of decline for years and the challenges of raising the money to provide the services the town needs is a hard one.

Yet this could be a great job for the person who successfully makes the town a vibrant and successful place at the same time that it retains its heritage and charm.

And there is no reason why it should not be. It is ideally suited for the kind of niche tourism which Bermuda needs to move towards. St. George's, in conjunction with Southside, could become a centre for e-commerce as well.

The successor to Mayor Lois Perinchief needs to be a leader who can bring together the people of St. George's to see that their town can enjoy a renaissance.

He -- both candidates are men -- also needs to be able to move comfortably in circles as varied as UNESCO, which is considering the town as a world heritage site, the St. George's Foundation, which has taken on the task of raising funds to improve the appearance of the town, and Government, whose support is needed to bring hotel and cruise ships visitors to the Island.

St. George's is strapped for cash because its taxpayers cannot afford to pay more -- its economy is too weak. Leaving aside the issue of double taxation, whereby St. George's residents pay land taxes to Government and rates to the Corporation of St. George's -- the town can only widen its tax base if it attracts more successful businesses to the town.

The voters of St. George's need to decide which candidate can do that best.

And the candidate who can do that best is the one who also recognises that there will be businesses and people who want to move to the town because of its heritage, beauty and quiet charm.