Poor use of tax $ by this city. What did they do with the taxes that the citizens of the city paid? What pet projects got funded before the basics: police, fire, streets, water, sewer?
I think every state government needs to spend some time evaluating these things in their state. I fear there are further potential disasters just waiting to happen.
Self proclaimed to make Jackson the most radical city in the worldâŠhowâs that working out?
But was the water crisis related to the radical agenda or is it just sidetracking it?
Yet the State of Mississippi would rather defraud its citizens and starve them than exhibit good governance.
Most likelyâŠthe guys been there for 5 years and clearly ran it in the ground
These are local issues not the state or federal govt. Gross mismanagement by the city govt.
Yes I understand that water is handled locally but I believe the state has an interest in making sure all itâs residents have clean drinking water and avoiding a crisis due to neglect, funding or intentional acts. Just like every state should be looking at the power infrastructure and disaster recovery.
Edit: to clarify, I mean the state should be inspecting and coordinating to determine just where weaknesses are and such.
Years before people in Jackson were recently left without running water for several days, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves claimed to have helped block money to fund water system repairs in the capital city.
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By â Michael Goldberg, Associated Press/Report for America
Mississippi governor, who opposed water system repairs, blames Jackson for crisis
Nation Sep 27, 2022 12:44 PM EST
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) â Years before people in Jackson were recently left without running water for several days, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves claimed to have helped block money to fund water system repairs in the capital city.
Reeves, a Republican, blames Jacksonâs water crisis on mismanagement at the city level. The cityâs latest water troubles are far from its first, and they have stemmed from decaying infrastructure beyond one water treatment plant. The EPA said 300 boil water notices have been issued over the past two years in the city.
READ MORE: Decades of systemic racism seen as root of Jackson Mississippi water crisis
As Reeves climbed Mississippiâs political ladder, he cited his opposition to financially helping the capital as evidence of his fiscal conservatism.
Jackson-area lawmakers say the troubled water system is one example of Jacksonâs status as a political punching bag for Republican officials, who control the Legislature and the state Bond Commission.
Water systems donât fall apart in five years. It takes decades of mismanagement and underinvestment.
And this isnât unique to Jackson, MS. As stated, the American Society of Civil Engineers gives US water systems a C- across the nation. âLower taxesâ seems to be a more popular rallying cry than âreplace aging water infrastructure.â
Most of the Houston areaâs growth has come through Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) over the last 50 years. Therefore they arenât subject to City of Houston mismanagement. On the other hand, theyâve all got much smaller tax bases to cover their upcoming expenses as aging infrastructure starts to reach the end of its design life. Itâs an extreme version of âlocal controlâ.
Some MUDs may only consist of a few hundred homes, responsible for many millions of dollars of infrastructure. While I do believe most MUDs are well managed, it would not surprise me to see similar issues in poorly managed MUDs in the coming decades.
Read the article previous infrastructure funds were misused. The state is considering taking over the water system because the city govt and management is pathetic.
I read that the Governor prides himself on blocking funds to fix the issue. He certainly could have conditioned the funds on change of management. However it was a politics and not people situation.
Honestly, I care less about who is to blame, Iâm more interested in who will fix it and how many of these crisises are waiting to happen in Texas and beyond. If that doesnât concern you, then make sure you stock up on water.
Maybe elect people who can manage city affairs. I would avoid hiring Harris County election officials. They canât even handle paper.
This is a city matter they can raise taxes or water bills to find it like other cities. Instead they want others to pay for thier mismanagement.
And when the city managers put in for funds that have to be approved at the state level and it is denied or reduced who is to blame?
Schools are done at the local level but when mismanaged, the State likes to take them over. Why not do the same with water?
If you read the article that is one of the proposals. The state does not want to give the $ directly because of previous mis management. They are considering taking over mgmt of the Jackson water system.
Because education is within the purview of the state. Thatâs why the TEXAS Education Agency exists.
I live in a small town. We elect the mayor and council members but we hire a city manager that does the actual running of the city. Heâs a hired pro, as the elected are just ordinary citizens that usually have other jobs. The mismanagement probably isnât with the elected officials.