Jackson wants its water system back. Period.
The Interim Stipulated Orders (Water and Sewer) require that the operation and control of Jackson’s water and sewer systems transition to a permanent entity once the systems are operationally and financially sustainable. The Sewer Order specifically mandates that a transition plan be developed and submitted to the parties—EPA, DOJ, MDEQ/MSDH, and the City of Jackson—no later than October 2026.
The Interim Third-Party Manager (ITPM) has been working diligently to stabilize the water and sewer systems while also preparing for that eventual transition. Significant progress has been made in restoring and maintaining reliable operations. However, achieving financial stability remains the greatest challenge and must be resolved before any transition can occur. Otherwise, Jackson risks returning to the same conditions that led to the federal government’s intervention.
The failure of the City’s water and sewer systems can be directly tied to a lack of financial resources—largely due to the City’s past inability or unwillingness to set sustainable rates and ensure all users paid for the services they received. Without a long-term, financially sound plan, the system will inevitably deteriorate again. It is certain that the federal government will not intervene financially a second time, so maintaining the progress achieved to date is essential.
Ultimately, future control by a municipal entity—whether a new authority board or the City of Jackson itself—will likely provide the most affordable and sustainable operation for ratepayers.
The City of Jackson entered into the Interim Stipulated Orders to avoid litigation filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of the EPA and by the State of Mississippi on behalf of MDEQ and MSDH. The City negotiated and agreed to the terms of the Orders, which stayed the lawsuit. Any transition plan must be agreed upon by all parties.
If the City seeks to regain control of the water and sewer systems, it must first develop and present a clear financial and operational plan for review by state and federal partners. Passing resolutions without sharing with the public, ratepayers, and regulators how the City intends to manage the systems will only hinder progress and reduce the likelihood of agreement among the parties.
JXN Water has met with Mayor Horhn and expressed our willingness to assist in developing a responsible transition plan. However, creating such a plan will take time, and it will likely be several months before a viable proposal can be shared.
In the meantime, the water and sewer systems must meet their financial obligations to continue operations. Like any public utility, we must:
· Ensure that everyone receiving service has an active account;
· Ensure that all customers are paying for the service they receive;
· Recover unpaid service fees; and
· Adjust rates to cover the true cost of providing reliable service.
Because the City will need time to prepare its transition proposal, control will likely need to transfer—at least temporarily—to a public authority that can borrow funds and address ongoing financial shortfalls.
Finally, during the past month, the water system experienced a seasonal increase in manganese—a naturally occurring mineral—which caused discolored water in some areas of the City. Elevated manganese levels have been a recurring issue since the construction of the Ross Barnett Reservoir. The discoloration, while unpleasant, does not pose a health risk.
Historically, the City of Jackson did not adjust water bills for periods of discoloration, and JXN Water is following that long-standing practice. Adjusting customer bills for aesthetic issues would require an even greater rate increase to sustain operations, which would ultimately harm all ratepayers.
59 comments:
For context, a 50,000 resident city in Texas I am working with has (8) licensed engineers and many more support staff with knowledge of how to fix problems in existing infrastructure. I might entertain the City of Jackson taking over the water and sewer again if they had (8) engineers, though realistically they should have (15+) engineers for a city of this size to handle everything. Would someone please ask Mayor Horhn what is his plan to actually hire licensed engineers first and demonstrate some capacity to manage the streets and stormsewers first?
I say let the dumbass democrats have it back, they did such a wonderful job with it before. Let's go ahead and kill off the few remaining restaurants and businesses left and completely decimate the tax base when the water stops flowing again.
At this point I don't even blame the grifting liberal democrats for enriching themselves. All they have to do is blame white folks and the "media" amplifies that message and no one is ever held accountable. I blame the voters who are stupid enough to keep putting the same failed political party back in charge, over and over and over and.....
KF has all the parties in this case told
Jackson they getting this system back?
People in hell are wanting ice water, too.
The audacity of expecting people to pay for the water they use! I get that the billing system is messed up and people didn't get bills for ages and now have a huge balance. Stokes and Company should round up some private donors and non-profits to help people who can't afford to pay their bills. People get to keep their water on. JXNWater gets the money they need to operate the system. Problem solved. You can't operate a water system if people don't pay their bills.
@9:10 - Well said. Horhn is pandering to a large percentage of his constituents who want free water like they've had for the past 15+ years. Meanwhile, everyone who pays their water bill just wants clean water on demand when they turn on their taps.
Stokes resumes his status as Council Clown.
The council has forgotten how bad things were before the feds took over and forgets how quickly things can go right back to the way they were before without federal resources and competent leadership. Why in the world would they want one more thing to deal with?
These people who are electable n Jackson really are incapable of accepting the fact that they are incompetent. They seem to think that bluster is all you need and that the State or the federal government exist to bail them out from time to time. Not going to change until demographics change.
If you like the problems we have caused with our incompetence, wait until you hear our solutions!
So the experience necessary to competently operate a water system mysteriously appears. Give it back: let them run it in the ground.
As a Jackson resident, NO, the city is not capable of running its own water system. While agree there is a new admin in town, that does not remove the fact that our voting public could put another individual in office that has an agenda and not the desire to serve the city. A city is a business, and we need it run as such. The city of Jackson is a prime example of what happens when you fail to realize the city is actually a business, that in many cases, provides services that humans need (not just want....but NEED). That said, JXN water call center, and website are not good at all. I appreciate what Henifin is doing, but he is not leading a well oil machine that is actually working at 100%. I can't get a return call, and my water usage for over 3 years now continues to be estimated, and I disagree.
This feels like political performance to give the council cover from the incoming shut offs. I don’t believe Foote is the only one smart enough to know the city can’t manage the system. Stokes probably knows it, but no one is better at political performance art than Stokes.
I lived in Jackson for 18 years in two areas that are though of as a couple of the nicest areas in town. I didn't really want to leave. However, between going multiple days without water multiple times, including for 12 days when the big freeze happened, and dealing with vagrants who had not respect for people's property, I finally bit the bullet and moved to the burbs a couple of years ago. My wife and kids feel much safer and we've (gasp) had running water every single day without fail.
Free the water!
The thought of the city of Jackson running the water system again makes me want to 🤮.
Word is that Stokes asked JXN Water to turn a nonpayer back on and they said not without payment is what sparked this.
What about while horhn is in office? Does anyone really believe he will be any better than chokwe?
Stokes doesn't have a bigger idiot to make him look half competent anymore.
The city council doesn't even know how
things work. All parties would have to
sign off on it before it even went to the
judge.
@9:35 - there is one and only one reason the City could ';want' control of the water system back - and that is because there is $450 million of federal dollars to be spent on infrastructure improvements there. They want to give that money to THEIR contractors and engineers, not ones that are picked because they can actually perform the work required. The city's EBO policies (you know, those rules that require 30% of each contract be given to a minority contractor, whether that minority performs any work or not - the reason the Siemens contract grew from $55 million to $92 million) are not applicable to the work done under the ITPM ssystem overseen by Wingate.
They don't want the system back, they want the fed monies to help themselves or their 'friends'. Thankfully Foote voted against this resolution; and surprisingly Grizzel speaking out with some degree of common sense and suggesting that a public utility be formed and assume control.
Maybe Rukia & Co. can offer up a buzzword salad to get it done. "Equity based water solutions that allow us to collectively live and work in an environment free of oversite of a basic human right. A justice based system to uplift our communities and allow us to replenish ourselves instead of worry who is going to let the well run dry. Who's going to pay for it, faq if I know....we are just owed it."
Only time will tell. I suspect not since he's pushing for Jackson to maintain both water and airport, but even a bare minimum of repaving streets and tackling crime will be a step up.
Fun fact: Virgi’s replacement only got 52 percent of the vote in Belhaven.
This isn’t the way to maintain a simple majority in the neighborhood where you live.
Down stream residents of the Pearl River, stand by, boo boo en route.
The city can not run the water department; this much is clear. Please focus on other things.
The City of Jackson has zero credibility with regard to properly managing anything under its influence or control. Schools, Police, Fire, Infrastructure, Water, Sewer, Waste Mgmt., Libraries, Budget Management & Auditing, Economic Development -- all substandard or completely ineffective. In addition to submitting a plan that all would agree to, they must show evidence of having successfully executed similar plans in the past.
KF what were the mayor's comments
on this?
Jackson can’t run anything other than running people out of the city.
FWIW- I had a significant issue that needed immediate attention from JXN Water several weeks ago- Said issue was reported via their web site and within 24 hours, the water was fixed at the location and all interface in the field and HQ was very prompt and professional- I could not ask for any better satisfactory response from JXN Water- Say what you want about Ted but he is doing a great job- One Trillion times better than Choka Lock could ever dream of- He was a total Fing disaster!!
THANK YOU TED!!
Lumumba, Sr. deserves partial credit for Siemens. He could have shelved it without signing. This silly water resolution could have been just another chapter in the Book of Stokes but with so many of the council voting for it, it’s a chilling reminder of how fragile our situation is. COJ should absolutely lean on JXN Water as long as possible. There are only a couple of reasons any city official could have for wanting control of a system in that condition and they have nothing to do with making it operate reliably.
12:33 agree fully. It would not have gotten fixed if the city had the water.
Used to love Stokes....now he's become a poverty pimp.
Why didn't the State Legislature end this pipe dream of Jackson ever having control of the water system again after the water system failure? For at least the 2 legislative sessions after the debacle, bills were submitted that were never advanced. This is a travesty. If Jackson regaining control comes to fruition, I'm moving to Madison. Horhn may can keep it afloat for a few years assuming he gets elected for a 2nd term, but the first time the rate needs to be increased to properly maintain the system, the moron City Council members and Mayor will vote it down.
For any of you that live in Ward 7, I recommend contacting Kevin. I can not believe he voted for this. Disgusting.
He also wants to dump more money after bad into the zoo.
He was always a poverty pimp. He just had the Lumumba circus to distract everyone from it.
That should not have been surprising at all. He always struck me as a pencil necked liberal.
And in other news, I just went through JAN again and nothing has changed. It’s an embarrassment to anyone flying into central MS.
Time for the state to take it over.
Absolutely NOT! Not going back to lack of water pressure or no water at all! I've finally just felt secure enough to discard Walmart bags and chamber pot.
I am so disappointed in him. Here is his email, I hope all of Ward 7 contacts him and expresses their dissatisfaction. kparkinson@jacksonms.gov
At this point Jackson is just a giant HUD house.
Gosh dammit. Why couldn’t Ron Aldridge have won.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Jackson could become an exercise / example in democracy for the nation!
Let’m have it!
Of course they can’t run the water department. Work on blight, potholes, schools, crime, zoo, homeless, residents fleeing, graft. When that is fixed in 100 years get water department back
Until then let the adults handle it.
Yet another example of a candidate telling the voters what they want to hear but if elected they flip 180-degrees.
Shame on Belhaven voters for electing Parkinson instead of Ron Aldridge.
Parkinson is a zero.
Water is just one of many....garbage...potholes...zoo...Thalia Mara... the tax base has left and they are sitting with an aged infrastructure that cannot be fixed. that's why no administration has been able to fix anything and Northwest Rankin is the new Callaway. Can't blame the Jackson folks from wanting to get away from it. Meanwhile the suburbs are feeling the brunt of more Jacksonians and the rural areas like Pelahatchie are getting bigger as white-flight expands further from Jackson. It's not anything unique as it happens across the country --- just interesting to watch locally.
8:24 the water and sewer are being fixed.
What about the water leak at the zoo?
Is that being fixed?
Or just punted some more?
9:41 the city is responsible to fix it not
Jxn Water.
All council members, except Foote, should be slapped. They want the money, they want the power to give "free" water to their friends and constiuents just like they use to. They want the power to stop shutoffs, just like they use to.
5:26 nailed it.
Jackson has the exact city government and representation it voted for so leave them be.
Article on wlbt about Parkinson getting
backlash for voting for resolution.
Jackonians destroyed their own city and now want to move to nice places like Flowood and Madison.
Please stay and fix what you broke and hold those YOU voted for accountable. Stay in Hinds county. Madison and Rankin don’t want you or your money here.
Idiots like Fat Stokes and Dummy Parkinson’s want the water system back? Give it to them.
Let’s see how that goes without Federal oversight.
Jackson can’t run a Luckydog stand, much less a city.
Let it rot.
Give Jackson its per capita due but don't expect the rest of the state to fund one damn penny more than that.
It will not matter that there is a new mayor and public works director if the
money is not there. The city will not raise rates or do cutoffs. I believe all
parties that have to sign off who gets
these two systems will look at that.
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