Corruption and cronyism may be alive and well at the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority. A lawsuit accuses JMAA of awarding a contract to the most expensive bid that was favored by the airport brass but was scored the worst by a selection committee. The plaintiff, former JMAA employee Brian Smith, claimed architect William McElroy got him fired because he refused to cover up his (allegedly) substandard work. Mr. Smith sued JMAA, former Commissioner and Board President Lawanda Harris, CEO Paul Brown, and Mr. McElroy in U.S. District Court Monday.
The complaint states JMAA hired Mr. Smith in February 2021 to "review architectural plans." JMAA solicited bids from 5 local architects for design work but only three responded: Dale Partners, JBHM, and M3A. Mr. McElroy owns M3A. Smith served as a non-voting technical advisor to a selection committee comprised of six members. Mr. Smith alleges there were issues with M3A's bid and scored its bid dead last:
11. Two members, Joyce Tillman and Nicole Campbell Lewis, initially wanted to select M3A. The committee conducted a detailed discussion of the merits of M3A versus the other bidders. Those issues included that (1) McElroy had not submitted a schedule of completion, (2) M3A had previous disputes with JPS and JSU, and (3) the amount of its bids. M3A's bid was more than $1 million more than the bids of Dale Partners and JBHM. After some discussion, Tillman and Lewis relented and the committee voted unanimously to rate the bidders as follows: 1. Dale Partners; 2. JBHM; and 3. M3A.
One would think the committee's recommendations settled the matter but this is the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority where race is not just everything but the only thing. Smith said JMAA Board President Lawanda Harris told JMAA CEO Paul Brown to reject Dale Partners and award the contract to M3A. The complaint continues:
13. Harris was opposed to a white firm getting the contract. Dale Partners and JBHM are predominantly white firms. Even though M3A was ranked last by the selection committee, Harris wanted M3A to get the contract because it was owned by William McElroy, a black architect, who is also the husband of Yolanda McElroy and a close personal friend.
14. Based on the recommendation of Harris and Brown, the JMAA board of commissioners voted to award the contract to M3A.
Mr. Smith claims Mr. Brown told him to get the design and drawings from M3A. The McElroy firm allegedly used a "college intern to prepare the drawings and fell behind" on the plans. Plan specs were also not submitted to JMAA. A conceptual design was returned to M3A for changes. However, Mr. Brown told the Mr. Smith not to ask for any more changes to the plans. The complaint charged Mr. McElroy lied to the Board at an April meeting that TSA approved his final plans.
The real fun started as Mr. McElroy allegedly "Tommed" the plaintiff.
19. At a routine meeting on April 23, 2021, the plaintiff met with Brown and Von Anderson in order to review various projects. The meeting was cordial at first, but when Von Anderson mentioned there were issues with the work of M3A, Brown exploded and told Anderson and Smith that they had to help M3A complete its plans.
20. The same day, McElroy came to the JMAA offices and met with Brown and the plaintiff. McElroy verbally accused Smith three times of lying about him not having submitted completed plans....
21. After the meeting, McElroy sent a private text to Smith stating that "he was not much of a man or a brother" and that "it was people like him who held black professionals back." McElroy's negative comments were based on the stereotype that black men should make accommodations for other black men for any shortcomings in their work.
The CEO and Mr. McElroy allegedly spoke to Ms. Harris and other Commissioners about firing Mr. Smith for not helping M3A complete its work.
It all went down a few days later on April 26 when Mr. Brown fired Mr. Smith:
23. On April 26, 2021, the plaintiff was summoned to Paul Brown s office where he was terminated. During the meeting, Brown read from a letter from McElroy accusing Smith of extorting $120,000. Smith asked what proof he had. Brown responded that he did not need any proof as long as he had the letter from McElroy.The plaintiff accuses the defendants of intentionally and tortiously interfering with his employment contract at JMAA. He asks for damages of $500,000, punitive damages of $1 million, and legal fees.
Attorney Mike Farrell represents the plaintiff. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Daniel Patrick Jordan, III.
What is interesting is the minutes for the March 22, 2021 Board meeting state:
IT IS, THEREFORE, FURTHER RESOLVED that JMAA's Staff is: (i) authorized to award a Design Build Contract for the West Concourse Improvements Project at JAN for design and construction services to M3A Architecture company for $294,000.00 and to the Century Construction Group for $2,800,000.00; and (ii) to approve a total budget for a total not-to-exceed amount of $3,094,000.00 for services;
$294,000 a much less than a bid that is allegedly $1 million more than another bid unless some work is covered by the award to Century Construction.
26 comments:
Just so surprised by this. :)
If they would just get all these folks together and fly them to the Paris air show all would be simply wonderful and all is forgiven.
Can you help a brother out??
All about race-always will be.
I cant even pretend to be shocked anymore.
WHEN will thw state take over this snake pit?
My bet for the M3A and Century numbers are the architect/engineer fee and Century is awarded the contract via RFP and is the actual contractor. Rarely, if ever, is the architect/engineer the prime contractor. Either way, the whole DBE process is a sham for a certian group to "get theirs" and then sub 110% out to a legit business to do the work and the DBE owner siphons off their cut from the top. Rarely does anyone "win" when the DEB particpation is called into account. It just costs more and ends up an added fee and another set of hands to broker the deal.
His lawsuit should fly.
Fly all over the USofA. JAN is a dump that everyday falls further and further behind.
I am shocked, shocke I say that there is corruption with anything to do with the City of Jackson!
Where is Shad ???
Small taters. Wait until the locals start their lawsuits over stench and rat disease coming from the truck dump that is now an airport. Good lawd almighty.
@12:10 nailed it. They know they can't do the work. They just want their slice of the pie from the man.
Tip of the iceberg…
Only the Federal Aviation Administration has authority to issue an Airport Operating Certificate and to approve the transfer of the Federal obligations to another eligible sponsor.
What’s the latest on the state takeover of the airport? I haven’t heard anything since last year.
The "one million dollars more" most likely refers to the architects estimate of the contract to do the work as drawn.
Meaning M3A's design was much more costly than the other firm's design.
1:40 : 3/4 of city and county emps in Hinds county live by this. Free check and zero production. The train wreck coming will be national news.
Where is Jerry Mitchell? Where is "Mississippi's Newspaper?"
Why is Shad and the Governor too afraid to clean house in Jackson????
Also why does Jackson have these ridiculous issues with RFPs? Pathetic
This problem has deep roots that are being run by a congressman that we all know but rarely see here. His roots are still present in the Raymond Detention facility that we all know had similar problems. And, our airport, City of Jackson, and Hinds County problems that we see are all his and his teams doing. This will not be fixed until we get new leadership that cares about really being a State Capitol that represents the best of things in this USA where people will want to move here and raise families.
Surely the FAA frowned first at the idea of creating a giant stanky rats nest in a hanger. Then their local overseer took a bribe.
This is disgusting. This is in-your-face racism and should be exposed by every news outlet nation wide.
The fact that this goes on is revolting.
Where are the other commissions on this? Does nobody else have ethics? Rickey Brown always seemed like a professional. Why isn’t he speaking up on this?
Lawanda learned this move when she was over at the Paris Air Show spending $50,000 of taxpayers money a few years back. Clown. Show.
For real though--when is the stupid lawsuit going to get settled and get these criminals out of there?
The bid process is a mere formality. McElroy and the board know that. He needs only to sell his participation to the right members and they will get him across the finish line no matter his standing relative to other bidders. It's the good ole boy system of the 60's turned upside down and reapplied to the "new good ole boys". Who is going to complain? Simply call them racists and move on. It costs a little more and won't be as efficient but it keeps some of the money in the "right hands".
Shad—if you have any modicum of respect for yourself after your Gov Bryant coverup, for the love of God and all that is Holy do your thing on these fools. The trips abroad (with ZERO to show for it), the racist architect contracting methods for highest bid, potentially false mileage records…what else you looking for, son? You popping grannies for less on the weekly.
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