Special City Council Meeting – Monday, May 2nd, 1 pm
5 City Council Members attended the Meeting. Council Members Physically Present – Ward 2 – Angelique Lee, Ward 6-Aaron Banks; Council Members Virtually Present – Ward 1-Ashby Foote, Ward 5-Vernon Hartley, Ward 7 – Virgi Lindsay (Council President).
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