East End businessman Garth Rothwell was formally sworn in as the new Mayor of St George’s in a ceremony yesterday.The position was left vacant last month when Kenneth Bascome stepped down to take a seat in the House of Parliament.While Mr Rothwell was expected to go head-to-head with former Common Councillor Alfonso Harris for the position in an election later this month, Mr Harris stepped out of the race over the weekend citing personal reasons.Mr Rothwell was serving as an Alderman and Deputy Mayor of the town. He has also served as a Chairman of the Trustees of St George’s Preparatory School and has been a member of the Education Board and Planning Board.He is a co-owner of Robertson’s Drugstore, which was founded by his grandfather Freddy Robertson, and has a son and daughter, both of whom live in St George’s with their families.Prior to his swearing in, Mr Rothwell said there is an urgent need for the Corporation to secure adequate funding for various capital projects.Among the expenses are a new trash truck, improvements to the public bathrooms in both the Town Square and Somers Garden, repairs to holes in the town’s wharves and lawyer’s fees for the commercial agreement with respect to the proposed marina development attached to Ordnance Island.“The key to success for St George’s and the Corporation is to continue expanding the positive dialogue with the many organisations which, by working together will bring about the revitalisation of St George’s,” Mr Rothwell said. “No one organisation can do it alone.”Now that the St George’s Police Station has been refurbished, Mr Rothwell said the Corporation must also focus on ensuring there is an adequate police presence in the town at all times.“The warning given by police sirens coming through Wellington from Southside is not working and will not work,” he said. “The Corporation’s CCTV system should be extended to residential areas of the Municipality and its reliability enhanced.”He said the Corporation must work to support tourism in the town by lobbying Government to maintain or increase ferry visits and promote east end sights and attractions.“In order to support the above initiative, organise decent and frequent transport to these beaches and historic sites such as Fort St Catherine, Carter House and St David’s Lighthouse using either private or government mini buses,” he said.“This would be a service for both residents and tourists. The Corporation is already pursuing this initiative.”In the long term, he said the town must either find a small cruise ship to service the community, increase ferry lift or build a cruise ship terminal at Murray’s Anchorage to the town’s north.“Ideally, the future of cruise ships in St George’s needs to be resolved in 2013 as the Corporation cannot move ahead with any development of the Penno’s Wharf area,” Mr Rothwell said.“To reserve Penno’s for a couple of uncertain cruise ship visits and the gravel ship each year, which is the present situation, is a waste of a prime harbourside asset.”