The Jackson City Council consists of seven Councilpersons representing the 7 wards of Jackson. The Mayor of Jackson also has a seat on the City Council but is unable to vote. The current city council members are:
Ward 1 – Ashby Foote
Ward 2 – Melvin Priester, Jr.
Ward 3 – Kenneth I. Stokes
Ward 4 – De’Keither Stamps
Ward 5 – Charles Tillman
Ward 6 – Aaron Banks
Ward 7 – Virgi Lindsey
Jackson has a Mayor-Council form of government, meaning it’s a check and balance type of system. The Mayor has the power to create laws via executive order, has authority over all city departments, and drafts the City Budget. The City Council also has the power to approve or disapprove of the City Budget. It can also create laws, but the mayor has the power to veto those laws if she/he deems that necessary. For example, in 2019 the Office of the Mayor engaged in Participatory Budgeting process fo include residents in setting the priorities for the City budget. The City Council then voted on the budget, with four of the Council people voting to pass the “People’s Budget” and three of the Council people voting against passage.
Councilman Stokes introduced a motion to address the community crisis by utilizing unused city budget funds for additional support to the police force in the form of pay increases retroactive to January 2020. Responding to crisis with force seemed to be a staple in both of these items Stokes introduced during Tuesday’s meeting.
In July, Jackson residents provided a five page list of recommendations to the City Council asking for funding for more mental health programs, affordable housing, job programs, youth programs, garden programs, water support, and infrastructure development.
On Tuesday night, the City Council debated whether an order awarding a grant to Stewpot community services for providing emergency shelter services would be beneficial to the quality of life for Jackson’s residents, ultimately passing the item with a vote of 6-0.
