Update: Resolution passed 4-1. Council members Parkinson, Grizzell, Hartley, and Brown-Thomas voted for the resolution while Foote voted against it. The entire discussion took place in executive session.
The Jackson City Council wants to silence JXN Water Manager Ted Henifin and handcuff his operation of Jackson's water/sewer system while focusing on what else but equity and affordability. Such is the gist of a resolution it will discuss and likely approve today.
U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate will hold a hearing tomorrow on whether to approve Mr. Henifin's proposed 12% rate increase. It will be the fifth hearing Judge Wingate has held on the matter since the Receiver suggested the rate increase in April 2025.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn submitted a resolution to the City Council for consideration at a special meeting to be held at 10:00. The resolution asks Judge Wingate to do the following:
Some observations:
* Placing a gag order on Mr. Henifin is dumb. One of the main reasons Jackson wound up in this situation is because of lies and coverups. We need more candor, not less. The City Council's attempt to shut up the Receiver is a bad idea.
Having said that, it might not be a bad idea to ask Judge Wingate to subject JXN Water to the public records laws. Candor and transparency, the more the better.
* Byram and other customers living outside a one-mile radius of Jackson should pay the same rates as Jackson customers. The City Council is correct on suggesting this measure.
* The city wants to study affordability instead of a rate study. Once again, the ostriches are sticking their heads in the sand. What matters is how much it costs to operate the system and pay the debt. Set the rates accordingly. This affordability crap is one reason the system fell apart. No one wanted to cut anyone off for not paying for water. Citizens were encouraged not to pay their bills. When JXN Water tries to impose some fiscal responsibility on customers, the City Council shrieks, demonstrating it is not capable of running a water/sewer system. Judge Wingate should throw this idea in the trash where it belongs.
* The resolution delves into customer service issues. Improving customer service is never a bad idea.
The City Council meeting will stream live on the city's website.
69 comments:
You cant take away free speech. He is
just telling truth.
Jxn Water pays city back for employees. Court approved it.
Psc has to agree to charge those people more. I heard Ted had tried but
they did not agree.
City hall is not open on Sat.
According to the order the judge can't
change the order up. It would take all
parties to agree. The court is not a party to the order.
Nope. No one applied to PSC for a rate increase. Mr. Stamps said there was no discussion behind the scenes either.
It is odd DOJ is absent in all this. It was
said he had no oponion.
Once again the City of Jackson proves to be the one municipality in the state that is incapable of competently handling a core function of municipal government. Buffoonery at its finest. And very much typical.
Give it to them. Let the freeloaders and straight-pipers rule!
Epa already has affordability study Jxn
Water raise is within the threshold.
His operational costs are in his report.
The City of Jackson solution to every problem: Let's pay someone to do a study on it.
In the interest of affordability, Court, in its discretion, should order Mac Haik Empire, LLC to award a 24% discount off final offer of any automobile being considered for purchase by resident of Jackson, MS. This is to be on top of and in addition to any final offer made by dealership finance or general manager.
The format that this one guy who posts repeatedly with
weird breaks in the paragraphs
like some bizarre haiku
makes my eyes
hurt. but I guess he also deserves free speech.
If the capitol city of Jackson does not get the opportunity to raise the price of water, it would negatively affect the city of Jackson by not having all the money needed to send the mayor and councilmen on all of those “conventions?” All over the world.
Whereas, the City of Jackson is the only city in the United States with its water and sewer systems in federal receivership, overseen by a dilatory federal judge and hindered by an incompetent city government intent on maintaining perpetual free stuff for thousands of its citizens until it all craters again, harumph, harumph, equity.
In order to improve customer service, they would need to create a Customer Service department. They do not have one. They have an answering service that promises to call back, then throws away your number.
I hate when good words get co-opted. How is it rational for equity ( let the best win in a fair fight) and affordability (our society being able to meet essential needs) to become a political negative? Do you all crave a dictatorship or kingship based on cheap labor and loyalty to human with the most wealth and power? Have we learned nothing in 2026 years?
Affordability means the poor get water for free while the rich and middle class pays. The rich can afford it but the middle class will be moving out in droves. Just like what's happening in all liberal states.
At what point does the legislature and the governor tire of the continual Jackson water clown show?
I suggest the city attorney research “prior restraint.”
Since this is an agreed upon consent decree with language that addresses how the third party admin can change water rates, is there anything that the court can really do to stop him from raising rates?
The idiot city council needs to shut the hell up! Hope Wingate can see that if Jackson gets involved with the water again, we are doomed! It's a damn shame that our toilets won't be flushing due to lack of water pressure if these incompetent money hungry fools get involved. I'll gladly pay $10 more to ensure running water and fire protection. This will surely cease if the fools get involved!
Safety tip: when a democrat says "equity" this really means revenge on white folks.
What Sister R doing!
If the City of Jackson clowns proceed to put anything out for bids at this point will they get the PITA price?
When cuckservatives are voted out.
I hope the Legislature is paying attention. Until Jackson can manage this basic function of municipal government they should not receive any additional state support. Every other Mississippi resident has to pay for water and people in Jackson should, too.
The federal government better put a decisive judge on this case or Jackson is going to be right back in crisis mode, with no water flowing through the pipes. In real time we are witnessing the same meddling, squabbling, and intrusions by city leaders who have demonstrated their inability to govern - which is the reason they have a third party administrator. Meanwhile, the only thing Wingate can manage is to hold monthly debating classes with no foreseeable conclusion.
"Affordability" The latest Marxist buzz word.
So the city wants it's garbage collection fees back, meaning the money JXN Water kept to pay the city's outstanding $5 million water bill.
And the city wants JXN Water to be responsible for the city's bond payments on the Siemens debacle, while the city refuses to prove exactly how it spend the $60 million it netted from the settlement with Siemens.
So, Jackson wants to:
1. Not have to pay its own water bill;
2. Not have to pay to fix the water system;
3. Make JXN Water responsible for the city's bond debt;
4. Convince a federal judge to prevent JXN Water from publicly complaining about it.
Which leads me to conclude that the city's goal is to:
5. Regain control of the water system, fully repaired, and free and clear of debt;
6. Ultimately, all at the expense of the federal and state governments.
Unfortunately, this looks like the issue that will define John Horhn's administration.
I'll ask again. What is the status of Judge Wingate's audit of the Siemens settlement money?
10:54, It will probably get the "difficult client" price, adjusted for "may not pay the bill."
Since the suburbs in Rankin and Madison benefit from drinking Jackson’s water when visiting Jackson, attach a surcharge on their current Rankin and Madison counties’s water bills and give to Jackson. There is no reason those of us in Jackson should have to pay for all of it.
@11:58 it isn't the fault of anyone who lives in the suburbs. Move out of the cesspool. Life is better when you don't wake up everyday to shit.
11:58 craziest comment. And how do they do that? Check ID. Democrats don’t want ID when voting but check all UDs when they consume water? Hotels, restaurants, ect. Should have those charges built in but now non city residents additionally charge?
If the COJ Mayor and Council are too dense to close down that utter failure of a zoo, they're likely too full of shit to understand the JxnWater financial situation. Or understand the embarrassment caused by the Jackson Airport. Does the entire City government need to be put into receivership?
We don't visit Jackson let alone drink their water.
@11:58 For the all-time win! I want to shake your hand!!
She be enjoying the good life living on some of that Siemen's money. Right?
11:58 How do you plan to monitor, measure, and accurately submit a bill to each "visitor" who takes a sip of your water?
Pay toilets for all non City of Jackson residents!
Residents get affordable, everyone else pays to unload!
No more freeloading!
Cameras for a wheel tax on visitors too.
This, folks, is what you call a shit show.
He doesn't spew the dogma like Antard but barely six months into the job and Horhn has all the appearances of being a big fat zero just like his predecessor.
Instead of working with Henifin to make the water and sewerage systems a shining example of renewal Horhn is basically saying, essentially, that an unreliable water system and surface sewage is good enough.
Good Lord do we need some recall provisions enacted into Mississippi law.
The rates in Jackson should be significantly higher. Some surrounding cities have much higher rates than Jackson, and those cities actually manage their systems properly.
@12:36 they'll just dump it untreated into the Pearl River anyways. The amount of uncontrolled polluting of the river by Jackson is 100% criminal. If Jackson was run by white conservatives the Democrats would have demanded jail sentences long ago for the people in Jackson government who allowed the polluting to happen.
11:58 luckily for Jackson not many visitors coming there now, look zoo numbers. In fact Jackson is number 1 city in country, ahead of San Francisco, in citizens leaving per capita. No need water in ghost town
Horhn has been a zero his whole career, so I don’t know why anyone realistically expected anything more than race based somebody owes me something.
Wow! 11:58 and 12:36 are such geniuses. Why if Jackson just taxes non-Jacksonians for anything in Jackson, then other municipalities will reciprocate even higher for their non-citizens. Similar to how the tariff battles raged with Trump. Your point is obviously that we all just need to pay more taxes or stay home. Yep, genius brains who really think things through.
Sip-o-water surcharge? Next there will be a breathing license. Height of the ridiculous.
It’s not like Horhn drinks water anyway.
Look at crime reports per capita!
### Metro Ad Valorem Millage Rates (2024-2025)* ###
Jackson = 69.09 mils (Bend-Over Belhaven rate)
Canton = 64.04 mils
Jackson = 63.03 mils
Edwards = 50.0 mils
Clinton = 41.49 mils
Bolton = 36.3 mils
Byram = 36.1 mils
Flora = 34.5 mils
---> AVERAGE = 34.21 mils <---
Raymond = 33.79 mils
Brandon = 33.0 mils
Florence = 31.2 mils
Terry = 30.85 mils
Madison = 28.8 mils
Pearl = 27.5 mils
Ridgeland = 20.03 mils
Flowood = 20.0 mils
Richland = 19.0 mils
Gluckstadt = 12.0 mils
* Excludes County & School District. Average excludes Belhaven CID.
On any given day 25-40% of the plates at the Madison WalMart are Hinds County plates. How about charging those citizens a higher sales tax?
Who believes visitors to Jackson drink the City water at all? I live here and never drink it, only bottled spring water.
BTW, all four major Hospitals in Jackson have their own independent well water and storage systems. When NEJXN secedes from Jackson, it should create it's own water system or buy it from Ridgeland/Madison.
Everyone is missing the absolute genius of 11:58's comment. I wish I thought of that.
11:58 and 12:36 are what we call "trolls".
They post inflammatory nonsense as rage bait to get you all to react.
Think of them as the prank callers of the 90's and simply hang up and ignore them.
On a side note, I will personally commend the trolls in this case, well done indeed. You are a master of your craft.
@1:29 pm. Everyone knows Jackson has higher millage rates and that affects property taxes and tags. The issue here is water rates.
Just remember that Mr. Ted is a white carpetbagger and his honor is a home boy, just like the other his honor, the mayor. Blood is thicker than water.
Attn. Those of you still in Jackson. You might want to look at ways to get out of Jackson. You will lose money, but the sooner you get out, the better off you will be. The city of Jackson can open those virtually unused “sky scrapers” for housing the vagrants infesting Jackson.
Maybe the 60s too:
"Do you have Sir Walter Raleigh in the pouch? Yes? You better let him out."
E Q U I T Y L O F T S
lifting affordability
one slum at a time
I just here to read the troll posts.
There should be a binding resolution that prohibits the city of Jackson from ever having anything to do with the water systems in perpetuity.
I wish there was some way to pump the filthy Jackson water from prior to Ted directly to the mayor, city counsel, etc. They want the old crappy ways, then yall can drink the old crappy water.
Judge Wingate, YOU caused this. Instead of moving forward and supporting the system working, YOU held meetings outside of courtrooms, YOU decided "some" folks didn't have to pay for water, YOU decided that the same damn folks who screwed it up to begin with are perfectly capable of running it again. So here's to you, Judge. You royally screwed up something actually getting fixed.
@1:29 they always come out of the woodwork when presented with the ugly facts about the costs to live in Jackson.
I honest to God cannot believe that Ted has not thrown in the towel and said phuck it I am gone. He doesn't need this shit.
7:44 He came out of retirement to take this job. Dedicated.
Legislature should just revoke Jackson's Charter. They won't do it because they're scared of the big bag "R" word. There are several that apply, but they're just scared of one in particular.
For the high school kids that like to drink on the sand bar:
In one notable incident in 2025, a "catastrophic failure" of the West Bank Interceptor near Hanging Moss Creek caused an overflow discovered on May 28, 2025, and lasting about 9 days (until repairs around June 5-6, 2025). Officials estimated 10 to 20 million gallons of untreated sewage entered the Pearl River each day during this period, totaling 90 to 180 million gallons.
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