Jackson Jambalaya

Great news! A good man, with applicable experience for the job. How long it has been, oh Lord!

Really glad to see Pieter back. Great hire!

Kingfish: What exactly do you expect a Chief Administrative Officer to do that will make this a home-run hire?

You might want to reserve your excitement for the announcement of Police Chief. Right now, that's the only new-hire that will matter.

Home run for sure!

Great hire but will Horhn seriously take his counsel? One thing is certain, the unlawful crap going on in City Hall will be stopped.

What a great hire! Pieter is smart, hard working, fair......congratulations Mayor Horhn! Adults back in the room indeed!

Such As? Specifics, please.

Settle down peeps. This is just one step in a thousand mile journey.

I have not seen my name on JJ for a long time (and maybe that is a good thing). Pieter was engaged by my predecessors and retained by the new Hinds BOS when I was elected in 2015. He is a brilliant lawyer, not to mention that he is also an all-around great person. I can’t think of a better hire for this position. Hoping for the best for the new administration.

Looking for "LIKE" button......

I've known Pete for many years and have dealt with him in several capacities. He's damn good. If his hire is any indication Jackson's moving forward. Good first step!

5:26, if you want to see more of the same, continue putting unqualified people in high places. This may be "one" hire, but it is clearly a HUGE step toward a return to sanity.

Pieter is an outstanding choice. I have worked with him and was very impressed. Great guy

If someone gets voted out of office, are they eligible for unemployment compensation?

Peter and I went to different law schools together. Great guy.

If you want people to think you are doing a great job hire somebody smarter than yourself to do the work. Horhn just did.

6:29 Not if he has a law firm and was drawing $ on the side.

Kim Waaadddeee - Economic Development, Clay Edwards - Night Club Czar, Chip Matthews - Pizza King, Tom's Fried Pies - Official Pie of the COJ, Gretta Bully - Soul Food Commissioner.

Is Rukia’s property going to the tax sale this year?

Leave Rukia alone I’ll pay her taxes!

The Mayor needs a kick ass Police Chief to put those dope boys and violent gang bangers out of business in Jackson. However I doubt that will happen.

Pieter is a good friend. Brilliant legal mind. Always makes decisions that are right and for the greater good. Even though I don’t live in Jackson, he’s a great hire and I support him! I wish the new administration all the best to improve our capitol city!

Unfortunately, the adults will never show up in the Comments

I don’t know Pieter. But everyone in this thread talks well of him so that’s very encouraging. Horhn has to make sure he hires people with a strong work ethic who will demand production of those working under them. Many city employees need to be let go. Lumumba left a mess. A house cleaning needs to happen. It’s going to take work and effort every day. You can’t skip a single day.

My fear is that Horhn will be like the Madison County Tax Collector. Inherit an office that’s a mess and not your fault, yet let it remain a mess because you don’t want to put in 80 hours a week cleaning it up (or even 40 hours a week). Because it’s going to take a lot of work and some long hours.

I’m so rooting for Horhn. Mississippi will really benefit from a Jackson that is at least somewhat mediocre. Horhn needs to focus on providing basic city functions and services in a decent manner. Focus on the basics first. Crime, infrastructure, basic government framework, etc. I fear Lumumba’s folks are infiltrated in all departments.

Don't fear @6:59 because it is a known. City Hall is riddled top-to-bottom with Lumumba people. The productivity of his administration tanked over the 8 years. Just step back and look at how utterly broken Jackson became. The only thing that has worked over the past year has been Joseph Wade's mouth.

Fantastic hire and lucky for the city Pieter was available. He can run the administrative side and allow Horhn to focus on the politics needed to build coalitions. Lumumba did neither.

This Horhn character has already been mayor for TWO WHOLE DAYS!! and he hasn't fixed every pothole, wiped out crime, and generally turned Jackson into Lake Wobegon. Well, clearly, if hasn't accomplished everything by now, he probably never will. And he'll be in office for YEARS!! Well, as stupid as it may sound, since Jackson is stuck with this guy for the nonce, who knows? Maybe he'll get lucky in the coming weeks or months and accomplish at least something, so let's make the best of it and see what happens.

Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life. For all of the negative people, you had the opportunity to run for mayor so how about laying off with rude comments. Horhn was asked to run and prayed about it first. Nuff said

@7:45 I agree. And that's going to be a problem. Because it's government, Horhn can't just walk in and fire all of the free-loaders on the first day. It will take time to gut the place. But it needs a good cleansing. One thing that has made the water system function better is that Ted got rid of the lazy idiots, but also kept those water employees who wanted to work, but just needed some leadership, training, and help.

The COJ staff is seeded with Lumumba disciples.

To all the naysayers, isn't this hiring of Mr. Teeuwissen (I don't know him, so I'll address him properly) why KF and others feel this is a win? As 8:11 pointed out, having a strong and competent CAO allows the new mayor to handle the politics effectively. Seems that Mr. Teeuwissen will be able to communicate, assess, and determine if the various department heads are up to the task or need to be replaced (which would cover their due process).

8:40 What a nothing post..

Horhn is keeping Wade. An unforced error.

I heard Mr. Malembeka was staying. When has the audit been done on time?