Tuesday, April 5, 2016

$26 million received, $161,554 spent.

Only $161,554 of 1% sales tax commission money has been spent.  Anna Wolfe reported in the Clarion-Ledger yesterday that Jackson has received $26 million in 1% sales tax revenue but has spent little money on infrastructure projects.  Ms. Wolfe reported:

Of the nearly $26 million that has been collected, $15 million has been approved and "put into accounts" for various projects, according to a handout provided by the administration.

The city has chosen the first roads that will be repaired under its neighborhood resurfacing project: Briarwood in Ward 1, Highland in Ward 2, Eminence Row in Ward 3, Maddox Road in Ward 4, Veterans Boulevard in Ward 5, Winn Street in Ward 6 and Wesley Avenue in Ward 7...


Of the approved $15 million for the projects, however, only $161,554.30 has been spent. Acknowledging a delay, Yarber wrote in a Facebook post  last month: "The only issue is there is a commission, that I am on, that the State placed over the approval of the money. In other words, the money can only be spent when the commission approves the projects."

But Pete Perry, chairman of the Infrastructure Sales Tax Commission, says the stalls have more to do with the process by which the city acquires contracts, often delaying progress.

"Somebody didn’t get the job done," Perry said. "It's not because they didn’t approve the money."
Meanwhile, a one-year $840,000 contract for the 1 percent sales tax project manager was awarded to IMS Engineers in December.

Included in the contract are subcontractors Advanced Environmental Consultants Inc., Butler Snow, Q Solutions Inc., Access Training Inc., Abe Hudson Consulting Services, Carolyn Hilton DuPre' CPA, TMM Professional Services LLC, Burns McDonald and Applied Research Associates.

The contract also includes $56,400 for "public education and community outreach strategy." The commission approved $13 million in projects in May, Yarber spokesperson Shelia Byrd said.

A statement Byrd released outlines the lengthy procedure the city must follow for 1 percent sales tax projects, including: creating bid documents and request for proposals, legal review of those documents, two-week long advertising, taking questions from proposers which could change the due date, evaluation of proposals by a committee and negotiations for cost and scope of the work.

"This takes time," Byrd wrote.

 So far, $15,000 has been spent on drainage improvements, $55,000 on bridge replacement, $65,000 on water line replacement and $26,000 on street resurfacing.... Rest of article

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just when I thought our city administration couldn't get any more incompetent.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Jackson needs a commission to manage the collection and billing of accurate water meter readings. Any of the 3000+ water thieves been indicted yet?

Billy Goat Trails said...

What street does the Mayor live on? Just wondering if it's been paved or if he is fighting busted tired and rims like the rest of us.

Kingfish said...

I've got the perfect solution.

We should hire a consultant to manage the consultants.

Anonymous said...

Going to get my alignment today!!!
But the money I pay for it will be invested into another city, not Jackson. The cycle has to stop somewhere!

Anonymous said...

Jackson can save money by not replacing speed limit signs, because you cannot speed on these streets.

Anonymous said...

Here's a solution:
Put two bags of quickcrete in every city vehicle each day. Patrol cars, fire trucks, water dept, etc. Each day as they go out they throw a bag or two in a pothole. No need to open it or add water. The traffic will bust the bag and the next rain will do the rest.
I know it may not be the "engineer's specs" for repairs, but it worked for the parking lot of a hardware store I worked great in for years!

Anonymous said...

Dear Margaret Barrett -

How about resurfacing Riverside Drive? Or haven't you driven it in the last 20 years?

I will say, though, that Wesley Avenue is damn near a gravel road. The last time I went to OffBeat I almost lost my suspension.

Kingfish said...

Why are you trying to mess with my favorite slalom course in Jackson?

Anonymous said...

KF. Can't you read? The ONE contract that the Mayor has gotten issued over the past 12 months is a contract for consultants to manage the consultants. It takes care of his campaign supporters and managers and is supposed to do what his PW department should be doing.

Anonymous said...

KF - can you get a copy of the amounts for the subcontractors. Interested in what some of these consultants outside of the legal world are actually doing?

Thank God we have a commission, no telling what these fools would have spent the money on without some oversight.

NE Jackson resident, but not much longer, said...

Riverside Drive was included in the projects approved by the Commission in spring of 2015. City hasn't hired an engineer yet for the project. Same situation as most all the other projects included in the approval for the first $15 million. But once the engineers are under contract, there's still the matter of Riverside is going to cost some $12 - $17 million to rebuild unless reduced in scope as has been proposed by some folks. Not likely to find that amount of money for that part of town any time soon with this administration.

Anonymous said...

Since FLOTUS is speaking at JSU later this month there will be a flurry of street improvements along her route to put on the best face for the City.

EARTH to Priester. Come in Priester. said...

Priester said the solution starts with making sure everyone on the water system is receiving bills and that those bills are accurate.

"It's unacceptable that we switched over to a new billing system in August and people are still getting estimated bills and innacurate bills in April," he said.


Priester. The meters aren't getting read. The bills don't go out to all parties every month. The bills are estimated and inaccurate.

And you see no other solution but to increase rates?

Priester, when will the over 3000+ known water thieves be indicted?

JACKSON IS A FUCKING DISASTER.

Anonymous said...

How much money could Jackson borrow (bond initiative) using this income stream?

It will take 1 billion to address all city water/sewer street needs.

Anonymous said...

2:30, I doubt if anyone would buy the bonds.

Anonymous said...

Briarwood? Does anyone use Briarwood to go anywhere other than to Ridgewood? Geez. Why not Ridgewood or Northside? Northside is friggin terrible from Ridgewood all the way to 49.

Anonymous said...

Probably Briarwood from I55 to North State. You don't think they'd actually fix anything in NEJackson, do you? You hand over your votes, hand over your money and then assume the position.

Anonymous said...

What a disaster. Yarber is as bad as Melton and Johnson. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's too bad Chokwe isn't still around.

Good thing Butler Snow and the usual suspects have gotten theirs while we, the citizens of Jackson have not gotten new roads. Maybe Robert "eyebrows" Smith could indict someone over this??

Anonymous said...

Chokwe was a disaster.

CJ said...

To be honest Jackson does not need to pave any streets until they find the source of the lead in the water supply. If not they will be wasting money because they will end up having to bust the newly paved roads up in order to repair the old pipes that are causing the elevated levels of lead. That money could be going towards getting every residence in the city of Jackson tested and equipped with water filters in order to make the water safe!!! This is a no brainier!!! Tony Yarber, we don't need a 6 month study we need immediate action. People are drinking lead. Hint just like FLINT MI. we have also switched some of our residents to the well water in south Jackson.. Start there!!!

Anonymous said...

CJ - not very well thought through. Not unlike Yarber, though, but just from a different mistake. Not all areas of Jackson have a problem with 'lead in their water'. I don't, and I'm quite happy with the water I am being supplied (and, BTW, paying for.)

But the roads I try to drive across need work. Now. Agreed that while repairing the roads, should repair the water and sewer lines underneath where needed. But that does not mean don't fix any roads until any and all water issues are fixed.

However - from my reading of what Tony is doing it has nothing at all to do with priorities but rather politics. And taking care of his political cronies. Latest new crony is now Ruuuuudy of Madison County. While he sues Madison to try to continue his screwing of them, he is now gotten onto the Jackson tit. We can all hope that he carries these officials of to the pokey with him one of these days.

Job Fair said...

If Jackson is really now hiring the deposed experts and cons from Madison County, the Jackson tour bus should head north and take a look at all the crumbling election asphalt that was laid down last summer.

Anonymous said...

It takes time to find out who will kick back some of the $26 million. Just when you think you have it all sewed up the person who is supposed to kick back some of the money gets greedy. It is very hard to find an honest criminal now days.

Background Check said...

Rudy can't contract with Jackson. He doesn't have any black engineers on the payroll. Well, he doesn't have any engineers PERIOD on the payroll since all were laid off.

But y'all get my drift. He's not shown himself to be exactly an affirmative action employer.

Anonymous said...

12:43- For the right amount of palm grease, Rudy can probably get an 'exception' to the Jackson rule.

Anonymous said...

My business contributed to the collected tax revenue for over year before we moved across the street. Not sure, at this point which is better - Jackson or Ridgeland. Cuss. Neither are worth defending at this point.



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