Jackson Free Press

Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. confirmed Monday what many City Council members already knew: that the city's financial situation is "dire."

Johnson told council members that 3 percent budget cuts instituted during the last fiscal year might actually need to be expanded to cover steep budget shortfalls. He pointed out that revenue could prove virtually flat or falling this year, which will join with new city costs—such as a more than $2 million bond due for payment in the coming fiscal year—to make the budget situation all the more difficult.

The city will also have to deal with a federal lawsuit demanding the city make expensive upgrades to its public transportation system to keep city buses from violating the constitutional rights of Jackson's disabled residents. City employees will likely be looking to the administration for pay raises this year, and the city will have to deal with the increasing wear and tear on the municipality's beleaguered roads and sewer infrastructure.

Chris Mims, the city's director of communications, said the mayor is sorting through the budget now and has yet to fully identify the means for containing the shortfalls, be they cuts to staffing or some means of raising revenue through possible permit and license fee increases, or even a mil increase. (Mims made no suggestion of a fee or tax increase, and Johnson advised against tax increases during his campaign.)

"We're just starting the process of trying to craft a new budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and I'm not really sure there can be a statement about it this early. The administration is trying to work on its solutions," Mims said today, adding that Johnson will be holding a 1:30 p.m. press conference today on the progress of the mayor's transition team. Johnson will likely take questions on some budgetary matters at the conference.

Ward 7 Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon, while dismayed at the news, said she was not at all surprised.

"This is not new news," Barrett-Simon said. "We've been quite concerned for some time about our financial situation, and Johnson is clearly not going to sweep this under the rug. He's going to tackle it head-on, and he's trying to let people know this is the situation we're in and he's going to try to resolve it."

She went on to add that Johnson's willingness to be frank on the budget situation is a refreshing alternative to the last administration under former Mayor Frank Melton, who died during the Democratic primary.

"It's been so long since anybody has been so honest with the council," Barrett-Simon said. "Johnson's going to call it the way he sees it, and that's what he did yesterday."

Previous Comments

ID

149881

Comment

But I thought Mayor Melton bragged about balancing the budget without any use of debt in his final interviews with Donna. I hope no one is suggesting that he was pulling that claim right out of his--imagination.

Author

Brian C Johnson

Date

2009-07-21T12:49:55-06:00

ID

149887

Comment

"...Johnson's willingness to be frank on the budget situation..." pun intended? get ready for a rough couple of years, Jackson. we've got a lot of catching up to do...

Author

eyerah

Date

2009-07-21T13:35:10-06:00

ID

149911

Comment

I'm glad to see the new (old?) mayor being upfront about the situation. Even if it's something we don't like to hear, but as long as it's the truth, we need to know. What would help, though, is taking Melton's buddies off the payroll.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2009-07-22T08:25:31-06:00