Come April 19, the city of Jackson will not have an engineer as an employee.
Robert Lee, the city engineer, has turned in his resignation and plans to go to work on the Gulf Coast.
“He had a job offer from the city of Gulfport and took it,” said Virgi Lindsay, who represents Ward 7 on the Jackson City Council. “I’m happy for him but sad for the city.”
“It’s devastating,” she said. “I am extremely concerned about how in the world we are going to keep public works projects moving forward without a city engineer.”
The city recently approved $40 million in bonds for infrastructure projects.
Ashby Foote, who represents Ward 1, said he was sorry to learn that Lee is leaving his job with the city, but he wishes him the best.
“It’s going to be a setback for the city because he’s a hard worker and has been very diligent in carrying out all of the responsibilities he’s been given as the only engineer in the public works division,” he said. “He takes with him institutional knowledge. He knows the background on so many projects the city is involved in, has been a key interface with the One Percent Sales Tax Commission and with the Mississippi Department of Transportation on projects.
“It will be tough to replace him.”
Pete Perry, a Jackson resident and member of the One Percent Sales Tax Commission, does not expect Lee’s departure to keep current public works projects from moving forward but he wonders who will handle the tasks Lee did until a replacement is hired.
The city engineer puts together documents so that private-sector contractors and engineers can bid on jobs, ensures projects are completed according to specifications and follows up to make sure the final bills get paid, he said.
Perry said it was appalling that Lee was the only engineer the city had and next month may not have one at all. “I think it’s a terrible situation, we don’t have a public works director, chief engineer or engineer,” he said.
Louis P. Wright Sr., chief administrative officer for the city, serves as interim public works director; his background is in customer service.
The city has had since 2020 seven public works directors, including Marlin King, Charles Williams, Robert Miller, Jordan Hillman (who was an acting director), Lee and Khalid Woods. Woods was appointed in 2023 to lead the department but resigned for the first time after less than two weeks on the job and then for good after giving it a second try and deciding it was stressful and taking a toll on his mental health.
Lindsay did not know who would be in charge of the city’s Public Works Department after Lee’s departure.
It is up to Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba as part of his duties to recruit and hire a new city engineer, she said.
“This is a problem for him to solve,” she said. “I stand ready to help in any way possible, but this is fully within the mayor’s role and his responsibility.”
Lindsay said she has been friends with Lee during his tenure with the city, which is about 20 years. He was the city’s traffic engineer for many years.
“We started working together when I was at the Greater Belhaven Foundation,” she said. “He was very conscientious and very responsible when I had a problem that needed solving.”
Perry said he believes there are other cities that pay more and offer more support to individuals in positions such as that of the city engineer and those jobs don’t come with the worry of “Who’s going to be my boss a year from now?” when election time rolls around in 2025.
Foote said he believes the work environment, not the pay is the reason why some city employees have chosen to leave their jobs.
