Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba used his regularly scheduled Monday press conference to refute what he called “inaccurate information” being spread by certain Jackson City Council members and others about his administration.
The mayor said he has no desire to engage in a “war of words” with other city officials but claimed that a Sunday news conference held by Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes put him in an “impossible situation.”
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Kenneth Stokes’ allegations
Stokes on Sunday brought up the January conviction of former Jackson constituent services manager Keyshia Sanders for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in grant funds intended for city projects.
Pointing to bridge and infrastructure project delays on Mill Street and in other areas Stokes also blamed the city for not paying invoices to hired contractors on time.
“How many more people are stealing?” Stokes asked. He called for an “independent investigation” to “show where the money is and where it is going.”
But Lumumba on Monday said the conviction of Sanders came only after an investigation by his administration discovered the missing funds — not one conducted by Stokes or other council members.
Lumumba also said he finds it ironic that Stokes complained about past due payments when the councilman himself often fails to vote affirmatively to approve claims dockets at city council meetings.
Lumumba then turned the podium over to Interim Jackson Public Works Director Robert Lee to address delays on the Mill Street improvements.
Lee said that at the time he was named interim director in mid February the city had gotten behind in some invoice payments but he said since that time his office had caught up on the backlog and that all payments are up to date.
Lee said workers are expected back on the job to replace a bridge just north of Union Station on Mill Street by May 15. A similarly constructed new bridge is nearing completion on Terry Road in south Jackson, he said.
“It will be replacing a highway bridge from the 1940s. I think it will be the nicest bridge on Terry Road and frankly in Jackson,” Lee said.
Addressing a broken sewer line farther north along Mill Street, Lee said the proximity of the sewer line to the Canadian National Railway will make repairs very costly.
“It will be a very complex project because the sewer runs under the railroad yard. I expect it to cost about $7 million,” he said. Temporary pumps are in place at the site as an interim solution,” Lee said.
Lumumba said he is aware of other sewer problems in Jackson and is committed to addressing them. But he added, “We have to be realistic.” The mayor said that due to aging infrastructure, “Our needs exceed our means.”
In other topics addressed Monday:
- Lumumba said the Jackson Police Department completed a successful recruiting effort last week at Alcorn State University. He said a similar effort will be made to recruit new officers among criminal justice majors at Jackson State University. (After Monday’s press conference the city announced a police recruit had died but did not provide any details.)
- The mayor addressed what he called a “skewed and biased” telephone poll underway around Jackson that “targets not only me and my administration but also my family.” He said the polling is apparently the work of political opponents but that some residents had mistakenly been misled to think the mayor’s office was behind the calls.
- Lumumba praised progress on a planned mixed-use development at the corner of Farish Street and Amite Street as “a movement in the right direction” for the historic Farish Street District. The development, called “Soul City Market” will include a food court for downtown workers and is being planned by the Jackson Redevelopment Authority. Lumumba described Farish Street as “important to the fabric of Jackson.” He said the street was never meant to be another Beale Street in Memphis or Bourbon Street in New Orleans and will have to maintain its own character. “We believe Farish Street has a soul,” Lumumba said.
