Since becoming mayor over four years ago, I laid out a strategic plan for the City of Jackson and its residents. At its heart is the idea of a dignity economy. You may have heard me mention it before. But here is what it means in simple terms:
The bottom line with all decisions I make as your mayor is an underlying consideration of how those decisions will affect you. Will the taxpayer-funded contracts we approve lead to real, sustainable change? Will the companies we hire invest in our community and provide stable, long-term jobs with good pay and benefits? Will those companies act in good faith for the community and show that they are willing to invest in us as we are investing in them.
This has been on my mind as my administration has moved forward on a topic that might not grab media headlines, but it is one that is absolutely important to all Jackson residents, and that is the city’s garbage disposal contract.
In recent weeks, I’ve talked to residents across all wards and what I continue to hear is they are fed up with inconsistent service and a growing menace of litter and illegal dumping in their neighborhoods. I’ve talked to those who work with our current provider, Waste Management, often on a temporary basis, and find themselves with little job security.
I’ve explained the financial hole we find ourselves in on the solid waste side of the ledger, and when residents were given an overview of the crisis the city finds itself in, they were receptive to my recommendation for a change.
But unfortunately, a slim majority of the City Council voted to turn down a contract with a new company, FCC Environmental Services, as the city’s garbage disposal operator. It follows the selection of the company by an independent review committee as the best of all companies applying for the contract. In fact, FCC beat out Waste Management, our current provider, in a number of categories – most notably, the overall value of their services.
Not only would FCC cost the city less money in the contract we negotiated, the company leaned in to assist us with a problem across all wards, the growing menace of illegal dumping. The practice has become commonplace in some areas of our city – often near homes and businesses – creating makeshift garbage dumps. FCC said it would deploy operators to clean up these eyesores on top of its normal disposal services.
In order to achieve savings for the City of Jackson, the City proposed and FCC accepted reducing garbage collections from twice a week to once a week. Admittedly, it is a cost-saving measure that will allow other city priorities to be tackled.
The council voted against the company and amongst their stated reasons was the misconception they had no time to review the change and a displeasure with one day a week service.
This is unfortunate because we face another looming crisis with our collections, one my administration feels compelled to address, and one the City Council should find equally as compelling.
This budget year, and for consecutive years in the past, the city has operated with millions of dollars of a shortfall in collections. That means we have been forced to borrow money from our reserve funds. Not only is this inadvisable, it has a direct result on our credit rating, which we’ve taken great pains to lift.
To you, what it means is simple: Every dollar that goes to cover that deficit is money that could go towards another place, such as repairing sewage leaks in your neighborhoods, fixing roads in front of your homes and businesses, performing vital maintenance to our aged infrastructure, or cleaning up blight.
It also comes with an unfortunate, inescapable reality, one my administration cannot simply wish away. No matter who our operator is, garbage rates will have to increase. It has been over 12 years since our residents have seen an increase and with millions of dollars going uncollected every year, it is my responsibility - especially when drafting a balanced budget – to account for these shortfalls. Simply, if it’s not addressed soon, we will continue to operate in the red.
It is important for residents to know very clearly; these rates would have gone up regardless of who the company is. It has nothing to do with FCC.
So, when it comes to the future of garbage collection in Jackson, we are at a point where accepting the status quo is not only unsustainable, it is irresponsible.
Negotiations with Waste Management have hit a snag as the company attempts to strongarm the City into a lengthy contract. It is imperative that our cozy relationships do not take precedence over what’s truly in the best interest of our residents.
This matter will not go away. We are prepared to issue another request for proposals to ensure there is some measure of good faith between the companies we do business with and the needs of our City and its residents.
It is my conclusion it is time to move forward on who we hire to represent the city for garbage disposal. Our decision should reflect our underlying vision of a dignity economy and should be in the best interests of our residents – who we are in service to.
