Hear, hear! Lemuria is fully behind making Jackson the best, most awesome city in the state. Let’s get moving.

Written by Jimmie Gates for the Clarion-Ledger on Saturday, May 2 2015.

 

It’s time to get moving on spending the $12 million in the 1 percent sales tax fund to make Jackson better.

Mayor Tony Yarber said he will present the city’s infrastructure master plan next week to the 10-member committee that he serves on to gain approval for spending some of the money.

Voters approved the 1 percent sales tax increase in January 2014 to pay for infrastructure improvements.

Only projects listed in the city’s infrastructure master plan can receive funds generated by the special tax, based upon the legislation which created the commission.

The commission first met in September. Seven months later, it will finally have an opportunity to vote on how the money should be spent.

The infrastructure master plan includes both short-term and long-term projects. It calls for spending up to $50 million on streets and other infrastructure projects the first year.

The 1 percent sales tax increase is projected to bring in about $13 million a year. The city will have to find additional money for infrastructure needs to go with the sales tax money.

Some City Council members are urging that the sales tax increase money be used now to help stabilize the city because of a crisis situation with pothole-filled streets causing hazards for motorists.

Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said she fears someone could be injured because of the deplorable condition of city streets.

Jackson is our capital city and deserves to be our jewel. We need good streets, good infrastructure and people willing to work together to make this city what it should be: a showcase for the state.

I know it’s easy to be critical of Jackson, and we should hold our officials accountable for the job they are doing, but we have a responsibility to help make our city better. It represents us, and it represents our state.

Citizens have to do their part. Stop trashing your city. I see too often people throwing trash out of vehicle windows, trash littering streets. Also, Jackson has a crime problem that citizens need to help police to tackle. Police can only do so much to curb crime. When you see criminal activity, make sure you let authorities know about it.

I see potential in this city. Jackson is the main city in the metro area. The capital city can’t and shouldn’t be isolated. As goes Jackson, so goes the entire metro area.

Metro-area mayors should be working together to make this a vibrant metropolitan area.

It does no good for those in surrounding communities to denigrate Jackson, and it does no good for Jackson residents and officials to castigate those living in surrounding communities. It’s time to improve Jackson and to make this a truly vibrant metro area for all to enjoy.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at (601) 961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.

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