Regular City Council Meeting – Tuesday, April 9, 2024 – 10am
Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Chief of Staff Dr. Safiya Omari, and 7 Council Members were Present: Ward-1 Ashby Foote, Ward 2-Angelique Lee, Ward 3-Kenneth Stokes (arrived later), Ward 4-Brian Grizzell, Ward 5-Vernon Hartley, Ward 6-Aaron Banks (Council President), and Ward 7-Virgi Lindsay.
Connected JXN – Blue Light Safety Initiative, Councilwoman Angelique Lee (Ward 2) proposed an ordinance for creating regulations for installing digital security cameras at gas stations and convenience stores. The ordinance would require convenience stores and gas stations to have and maintain working video security cameras. The ordinance also requires any installed cameras to be incorporated into the Blue Light Network Safety System, the 24/7 operated Blue Light Camera system adopted by the city in September 2023. If the store/gas station already has cameras, for a fee of $950 on the part of the gas station owner, they will also be incorporated into the Blue Light Network. The purpose of the ordinance is to increase safety at these businesses for customers.
Proposal for a Centralized Financial Body for Jackson, Mayor Lumumba motioned to adopt an ordinance to create a centralized financial body. This centralized financial body would be responsible for resolving issues related to finance management, such as paying overdue bills, procuring assets, and filling in when specific departments need to catch up with accounting. The body would consolidate certain positions and add a Deputy Chief Financial Officer, Liaison Officer, Procurement Operations Manager, Fixed Asset Management, Vendor Equity Coordinator, and Fiscal Operations Manager. Councilwoman Angelique Lee (Ward 2) asserted that she was skeptical of its necessity. According to Councilman Ashby Foote (Ward 1), establishing this centralized financial body would cost $600,000. Therefore, it is over budget considering the other things the City Council is considering allocating funds towards.
The costs for the centralized financial body would include but are not limited to, salaries for staff and costs related to software and training with said software. The software in question wasn’t made privy to attendees. Councilman Ashby Foote (Ward 1) also agreed with Councilwoman Angelique Lee (Ward 2) that it is not clear that there’s a real need to centralize the City of Jackson’s financial activities. Councilman Vernon Hartley (Ward 5) asserted that the council needed additional information about the proposal and that it is not proper to vote on something that isn’t understood fully.
According to the Mayor, the council saw that the city’s finance department required reworking and restructuring. The Mayor pointed out that the proposal was based on the information given to the council; an outside organization (name not disclosed) said the council requested help. He remarked that it didn’t make sense to complain about the problem while rejecting the experts’ proposed solution. He remarked that since there is a learning curve to the new technology (what kind of technology wasn’t made clear), new positions must be created. Extending his point about unnecessary criticism, he pointed out that the finance division had lost staff and was trying to maintain the work on sub-par staffing.
This action item will be discussed with the finance committee. The date is TBD.
In Item 58, Stokes proposed raising the salary of JPD to be higher than that of any other department in the region (including the Capitol Police). He remarked that due to the higher number of calls that JPD answers and that Jackson ought to be the “best,” they deserve the highest pay. Jackson, according to Councilman Stokes, has to be the best, including better than the Capitol Police.
Councilman Banks proposed that they amend the order into a resolution to include a raise for the fire department and have an objective formula (information from JPD and JFD) to determine how much to give them.
After some back-and-forth, Stokes removed his proposal.
Event Services and Funding ( vendors and supplies):
Policing
Water:
Trash Updates:
Building and Sites:
Housing:
Internet and Phone Services:
Community Programming And Cares Funding:
To view upcoming City of Jackson Events go to: https://www.jacksonms.gov/events
The Jackson City Council acts as the legislative branch of the city government. Meaning, they have the power to create new laws that apply to just the city of Jackson. For example in 2010, after a series of unjust stops of young black men by JPD and unjust stops of people in the Spanish-speaking immigrant community, the Jackson City Council created a law known as the “Human Rights Ordinance” that bans racial profiling based on race and nationality. The Jackson City Council is also responsible for approving the City Budget. This is one if it’s biggest functions.
Jackson City Council is also your direct representative for your neighborhood, so if you have a problem with something in your neighborhood, your City Councilperson is the government representative that is responsible for helping you to improve that.
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.
Ward 1 – Ashby Foote
Ward 2 – Angelique C. Lee
Ward 3 – Kenneth I. Stokes
Ward 4 – Brian Grizzell
Ward 5 – Vernon W. Hartley, Sr.
Ward 6 – Aaron Banks
Ward 7 – Virgi Lindsay