The war of words between Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba escalated yet again today at the Mayor's weekly press conference.
The scrum began when Mayor Lumumba accused JXN Water of falling behind on collections. WLBT reported two weeks ago:
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said JXN Water will have to improve collections, or garbage rates could be increased to cover the cost of a new long-term waste-hauling contract. In the city’s latest episode of Ask Antar, Lumumba said the city will be able to pay for the new trash contact with Richard’s Disposal using the current sanitation rates if collections with JXN Water improve. However, he said if that doesn’t happen, the monthly rate for sanitation will have to be raised from $37 to $40. “Currently, he’s collecting at about 52 percent, which is the worst in the history of our water enterprise,” he said. “The city of Jackson, after everything we dealt with, with stranded water bills, the lowest we ever went to, which is not ideal, was 72 percent.”
Reporter Anthony Warren poured some well, cold water on the Mayor's claims:
According to the December 2023 quarterly report, the latest available, JXN Water collected nearly 64 percent of billed residential and commercial revenues, about 12 percentage points higher than the mayor’s claims.
Officials with JXN Water are optimistic collections will continue to improve, saying that they’ve recently switched over to a new billing system, and are about to begin severance on commercial customers who don’t pay....
In 2017, Lumumba’s first year in office, Jackson brought in $61,027,825 in revenue from “sales to customers.” In 2021, the year before Henifin was appointed, the city logged just $33,091,148 in water and sewer revenue, audits state. Rest of article and story.
JXN Water fired back with a press release last week. The company stated
Severance for past due accounts and turnoffs for non-account began in March. The latest collection rate will be part of the upcoming quarterly report for January-March 2024, which will be made available in May. As a result, revenues have increased in the past few months. The increased focus on billing and collection will continue throughout the year with the goal of getting every account paid up and current by the end of this year. "We never want to disconnect anyone from the water system but we need everyone to get current on their bill. Without local revenues, we cannot continue the progress we have made over the past year to stabilize the drinking water system and stop the sewer overflows that have plagued Jackson neighborhoods for years," said JXN Water Interim Third-Party Manager Ted Henifin. JXN Water bills for trash pick-up on behalf of the City of Jackson with the water bill. JXN Water supports the City of Jackson collecting sanitation charges on their own or through their current vendor. The money collected and paid to the city for trash collection exceeded the contract cost of $851,000, as published recently in the Clarion Ledger, in each of the first three months of the city's fiscal year: Revenues Collected October 2023 $1,028,249.33 November 2023 $ 902,189.51 December 2023 $ 970,589.34
Hizzoner took strong exception to JXN Water's claims today. Mayor Lumumba said funds collected by JXN Water do not cover Jackson's sanitation costs even if they are more than the contract price for residential garbage collection. Jackson incurs more costs for landfill fees, disposal, fees, roll-off dumpster days, and payroll for the Solid Waste Division.
Mayor Lumumba said "That's why we shouldn't make statements without knowing the full information" as he said JXN Water did not know what Jackson's sanitation costs are. (3:00)
Mayor Lumumba said he was referring to the January collection rate, not the fourth quarter of 2023 when he said JXN Water only had a collection rate of 52%. JXN Water told WLBT it has not released the Q1 2024 report to anyone. However, Hizzoner said JXN Water did indeed submit the January report. "Well, they submitted it to us, maybe they forgot that," said the Mayor. Driving the point home, Mayor Lumumba said "either you're lying then or you're lying now."
The Mayor said he has not seen JXN Water Manager Ted Henifin since they faced off in court last summer.
48 comments:
Our little tyrant is desperate, defensive and henceforth unelectable.
if history holds true......the Mayor is about to get spanked hard with TRUTH & FACTS
Such a little man.
Let me see...should I believe the guy who has delivered on virtually every promise since his involvement with the City, or should I believe the guy who has failed at every turn, blames anyone but himself, and is known locally as Lyin' Lumumba. Tough call
"In 2017, Lumumba’s first year in office, Jackson brought in $61,027,825 in revenue from “sales to customers.” In 2021, the year before Henifin was appointed, the city logged just $33,091,148 in water and sewer revenue, audits state."
And surely the citizens of Jackson can recognize an inept leader when they see what's going on in the city (traffic lights not working, crime, crime, crime, water problems, sewer problems, potholes everywhere, garbage pickups, lawsuits against the city council, more lawsuits, no city engineer, etc. etc. etc.). It will be up to the citizens of Jackson to correct this problem. If this was a business, the CEO would have already been long gone.
I thought I read that the Richard's contract did include debris removal and roll off days and all that extra stuff. That's what made it such a good deal.
At 2:50 they said the city has costs of about $1,275,000 per month, in addition to the Richards contract, which is $851,000 per month.
If that is accurate, it means that the city spends about 1.5 times as much on garbage disposal than the contractor that actually picks up and carries off the garbage, using its own trucks and staff, and presumably providing its own insurance and fuel.
Seems to me that must be either: 1) total BS, or 2) gross mismanagement.
Oh. Jackson water is lying. Got it.
Mr. Henifin should be careful, desperate people do desperate things, and make no mistake, the marxist mayor is desperate.
Maybe Chowke could use his "dope boys" to increase collections. Right?
What the mayor really is saying: "Don't interfere with me squeezing Jackson residents for more money."
I'm telling you folks, we desperately need to convert to the city manager form of government. Imagine how Jackson could improve having a professional leading the over sight of city functions. The management of the water system by Jackson Water is just an example.
The news media has been saying lately the worst mayor in America is Dolton, Illinois, Mayor Tiffany Henyard. I am deeply offended by that, as we certainly claim that distinction right here in Jackson.
I know Ted. He and I agree on many things, and disagree on some things also. I’ve talked with him as recently as 6 days ago. And Ted is a little different. But when it comes to the capability to simply do your job effectively, Ted is in a different league from this mayor. Lumumba isn’t capable of running a lemonade stand. And Ted thinks Lumumba is a moron, which at least proves that Ted is a good judge of people.
Everyone is ready for this clown and his spoiled ass sister to leave town!! Get gone!!
I live in Jackson, and I am thinking g about upgrading to Detroit Michigan. Please comment because I am very confused.
The mayor is consistent. He was lying then AND now. He’s always lying. He’s the kind of person who lies so reflexively he sometimes lies for no reason or when the truth would better serve his interests. Lying is like breathing for the mayor.
Hopefully, Judge Wingate will make an example of Antar and his false statements and accusations.
Can you say pathological liar and sociopath? I know that you can. Right?
Lumomba and drump are a great case study in politics , if he's your guy you can explain away anything ....
may they both end up being held accountable
I do recall the Mayor et al met with Henifin to discuss the new rates back in December. Just 4 months ago, per the Stipulated Order. Right?
Lyin' Lumumba!!!
@5:38 - far be it from me to defend the City, or its incompetent Mayor. But there is much more to the solid waste division of the city than just the colleciton of garbage (which is the Richards contract) and Richards provision of Rolloff dumpster days.
The city maintains a solid waste landfill in South Jackson where debris is dumped by citizens and contractors.
Richards carries the garbage it collects to a transfer station operated by Waste Management; Richards' contract requires them to dump the garbage there. From that point, it still has to be disposed of, which is done by a contract the city has with Waste Management - who carries the garbage to its landfill in Lake MS.
Also, there are several dumpsters at city facilities which are not part of the Richards contract, but where the city garbage/trash is disposed. Those have rental costs, dumping fees, etc tied to them.
There is of course the management of the Richards contract, the landfill, by a city staff; or at least I assume the city still has a solid waste staff. Not having an engineer or a public works director (who would be over the solid waste staff) one would think there might be a small credit account building on the ledger but I'm sure they have found some festival to fund that would eliminate that small windfall.
Anyway, calculating just the monthly Richards contract amount - even without the Mayor's damned carts - there are other costs involved before all this crap is removed from the City with Soul.
Quit talking about it and do it. Raise the garbage rate from $37 to $40 less than a month in. Why is garbage dependent on water collections? The RFP barely has dry ink and you need to raise rates. What a ridiculous clown he is when this Richard's contract is his baby.
10:05, one would think that the company that owns the transfer station would operate at a lower cost than one that has to subcontract it. Or maybe the mayor told Richards to come in super low and he will think of ways to increase the contract post RFP/Award of Contract.....which is what this collections distraction is about currently.
What a clown show world we live in.
Its sad to be of the generation that watched Jackson fall from great to garbage.
I am surprised someone has not harmed the idiot in charge yet. This is just incomprehensible to tolerate a leader that actively seeks the demise of his city and voters so openly for his own personal gain. I think ALL politicians are selfish but good lord this one takes the selfish cake, very publicly no less.
I guess he is lucky that most of them are too uneducated to comprehend the grift or just don't care enough to vote differently.
And maybe he really does need that security entourage after all.
Given that everything in Jackson is bass-ackwards, maybe increasing the monthly water rate will increase the collection rate.
Saltwaterpappy (April 15, 2024 at 6:20 PM)- YES! I could not agree with you more! I have been researching how this is achieved (via the council, people, etc.). It should also be stipulated that the city manager does not have to necessarily reside within the city limits of Jackson/Hinds County.
So ...no one asked how Waste Management came to own the landfill?
Any of you who think Waste Management would charge less for disposal if they had the garbage collection contract really need a brain.
Worse, that even those who should have bothered to contrast and compare contracts and costs with efficient city services and their contracts elsewhere (even within the state) rather obviously haven't.
Those who do bother know that we all are victims of two political parties and the fragile egos of males.
At 5:25 to 5:30 you have the best clip for any audio against him.
"When I'm beating the drum, I'm going to let you know. I am a truth teller. Right. I'm going to tell you what is going on. ... I'm going to sound the alarm." We aren't going to wait for the train to run into the wall. Mayor why didn't you say something to us? Why didn't you let us know?
This isn't about collection rates or sanitation fees. This is a pissing match between the Mayor and Ted H. The Mayor cannot stand that the Judge took away water and sewer from COJ. He knows that the State is going to establish oversight long-term. Garbage is all he has left. He is doing everything he can to discredit JXN Water but HE is the one who negotiated the contract - as he so arrogantly pointed out. Now he is saying that the terms are inadequate??? He is also the one who quit collecting water/sewer/sanitation bills in the first place!
Worst mayor in the USA. The only challengers so far would probably inherit that title from him if elected. Even the least significant state capital shouldn't be abandoned and left to die as a hostage like this. Someone competent needs to step up.
Isn't Show-Quay's attempt to undermine the Water Receiver sanctionable by Judge Wingate's court? Henifin is, after all, an officer of the court, and if memory serves the mayor has been admonished once before to cease interference with the operation of the water system.
Seems to me this whole thing with Henifin is a smokescreen to obscure the mayor's crude and very obvious attempt to pad the contract of his chosen garbage contractor.
10:29...sadly da mayah knows he can convince most of his voters to disregard the obvious and well supported fact that HE is at fault for almost all of these horrors facing COJ.
His voters don't deal in logic. But they sure do respond to a black man saying a white man is trying to screw them over.
He's just been desperately waiting for ANY white man to blame because it took an out of stater to be dumb enough to sign up.
Poor Ted. Good luck.
Richards' contract is $851,000/month. CFO says other costs are $1.25M/month. That's $2,126,000/month and assuming 45,000 customers, that's $47/month!!! Don't believe $37, or $40, is enough!
Wish ladumba would do something to fix the smells coming from the landfill off W County Line. I pay too much $ to live in Bridgewater and smell Jackson’s shit on every windy day. Anybody that travels the trace in that area often knows when to hold their nose.
11:42 is right about Chockwe's security in the mayor's office. Just remember OJ's trial of the century which is Exhibit A about how a certain element of society can disregard irrefutable facts when the race card is in play. That is the only card in Chockwe 's deck and he knows how to play it. Sadly, the mayor's office is his for as long as he wants it.
If anyone should be able to spot a liar...
@8:27 AM Agree. Was anyone able to obtain a copy of WM's proposal (during the RFP before this) to see if disposal fees were included there or if disposal fees were always handled separately? If I were WM I'd sure charge a 3rd party more than cost for that service. And since that cost is passed through Richards, how does the City ensure Richards isn't inflating those costs in what they tack onto our fees? Genuinely curious.
9:42 a.m. Good morning, Chok! How you doin?
Y'all DO realize this is all about racism, right? Baby Chok can't get his side hustle on when the Man is standing in his way!
Just give it a little while longer, and Ted's color will become THE issue......
1237 - your enjoyment, or lack thereof, living in your fine Bridgewater neighborhood is not spoiled by anything related to the City of Jackson. Again, not one to defend the City (commented last night about the solid waste division operations) but the landfill you are rererencing that is on West County Line Road --- the Little Dixie Landfill -- is in Madison County, was permitted by Madison County, and is not owned, or managed by the City of Jackson.
Jackson's solid waste landfill is located south of the city west of I-55 near the Byram City Limits.
Lumumba can't do anything about the many functions of government he is responsible for, failing in most all of them. Don't expect him to be able to do anything about problems that are totally outside his realm, as Republic's Little Dixie facilitiy is.
Let the City of Jackson collect the garbage money?
That's a pretty big bus the mayor is trying to throw Henifin under, huh?
Mayor whined that Ted's not talking to him.
Henifin said he’s talking to the city as stipulated by the court.
“I meet regularly with the public works director, or whoever that person is supposed to be, because we really haven’t had a public works director in a long time,” Henifin said. “We try to do that weekly, and obviously, schedules conflict sometimes. We are religiously conforming to that requirement in the stipulated order. I meet with the public works director on a regular basis. It does define the public works director as the person I am supposed to meet with.” Jackson Chief Administrative Officer Louis Wright is currently serving as the interim public works director.
One spoiled brat and one adult.
Months ago, I speculated that certain folks had over-leveraged, counting on the federal government’s big, fat handout for the city’s water system “failure.” Lumumba appeared to actually think he would have the captain’s chair at the table. That right there exposed him as the lowdown, dirty, entitled grifter those of us who paid attention already knew. Srsly, as fast as things went down and control was snatched out of his greedy, no good, incompetent hands, he was cornered. And he’s been sabotaging JXNWATER and Ted Henefin ever since. As if his measly, nonexistent public works department could all of a sudden operate the water system that they had broken. Back then, I remember someone said Lumumba had 11 lawyers and ONE civil engineer. Correct me if I’m wrong, but last I heard — mere weeks ago — the City now has ZERO engineers. So who does he think he is fooling?
Regardless of who collects the revenue the rate has to cover Solid Waste operations.
This is nothing more than Lumumba trying to shift the blame to someone and/or something else in order to mislead Jacksonians that the rate increase was beyond his control and not his fault.
The election is coming and the little man is hearing footsteps. My guess is he never anticipated that the mud he was throwing at Henifin on PEG would ever get picked up and made into controversy by one of the TV Newsers.
I guess the collections are not covering his cut.......
Kingfish, look at the article on WLBT. Five apartment buildings haven't paid water bill = $1.8 million
Post a Comment