Mayor John Horhn and the City of Jackson today expressed disappointment following the Mississippi Legislature’s passage of legislation creating a Jackson Water Authority, noting that the final bill does not give Jackson a majority-appointed governing board over assets the City owns and for which it continues to bear substantial financial risk. The City appreciates the work that went into reaching this point, but believes governance and responsibility should be aligned.
The final legislation still leaves important questions unanswered about accountability, debt service, and long-term management of the system. The City remains concerned that if the Authority and the Mayor or City Council do not agree, the bill does not clearly establish how major decisions will be made or who will bear responsibility if the Authority cannot generate enough revenue to meet its obligations.
The legislation does include provisions for independent rate studies every two years, a bill dispute process, and a structure for future rate action, but serious concerns remain about whether those provisions fully address the ongoing issues of rising rates, low collection of past-due bills, and the Authority’s ability to sustain operations without creating new burdens for Jackson residents.
The City also remains concerned that municipal customers such as Byram and Ridgeland would have representation on the board while not carrying the same responsibility for the debt and financial risks tied to the system. That imbalance is a central reason the City had urged a board structure that gave Jackson a majority role in appointing members.
While others have celebrated the defeat of a Jackson-controlled water authority, the City’s focus remains on finding real answers for governance, service, collections, and debt responsibility.
“Jackson should not be asked to carry the greatest risk without having the authority to govern the assets it owns,” Mayor Horhn said. “We will continue working with our city leaders, state and federal officials, and other partners toward a solution that is fair, workable, and centered on accountability. Jackson should be able to govern its own resources.”
