Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said the state's capital city has received a disproportionate amount of funding for its water system based on its size.
FILE - Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves announces the state-imposed boil-water notice has been lifted in Mississippi's capital city after nearly seven weeks during a Sept. 15, 2022, news conference in Jackson, Miss. Reeves responded Monday, Nov. 7, to a congressional probe into the crisis that left 150,000 people in the state's capital city without running water for several days in late summer. Mississippi Gov.
The two Democrats sent Reeves an Oct. 17 letter requesting details of where Mississippi sent money from the American Rescue Plan Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, including “the racial demographics and population sizes of each” community that received aid. They also requested information on whether Jackson, which is 80% Black, has faced “burdensome hurdles” to receive additional federal funds.
Thompson and Maloney said in a joint statement Monday that recent federal aid to Jackson can be traced to more federal involvement. They said they received the governor's letter Monday. Reeves wrote that Jackson tax collections increased from 2003 to 2020, but numbers cited by the governor did not account for the decreased buying power because of inflation. Reeves wrote that Jackson’s property tax collections were about $60 million in 2003 and $79 million in 2020. An inflation calculator shows that $60 million in 2003 would be worth about $84 million in 2020 — so, although the numbers were up, the buying power was down.
In September, federal attorneys threatened legal action if the city did not agree to negotiations related to its water system. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said last week that negotiations are continuing. While the EPA said current samples indicate Jackson’s water quality meets federal standards, testing continues and legal action against the city is still a possibility.
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