If the Hinds County Board of Supervisors wants cheers for “giving” $500,000 for street resurfacing inside the city of Jackson, the supervisors should think again.
Do the numbers. The figures vary from year to year, but roughly between 74 percent and 77 percent of Hinds County taxes are paid by people living within the city limits.
So, even if Hinds County split the cost of maintenance 50-50, the citizens of Jackson would still be paying 100 percent of the city’s share and three-quarters of the county’s.
So, what is Hinds County “giving,” as in gratis, free?
The county supervisors think they are being generous because the county has been paying zero for city streets; not 80 percent, or 50 percent, but not one thin dime.
Think about that the next time you hit a pothole.
And what of the $500,000? It costs up to $60,000 to repave one mile of residential street. That’s 8.3 miles.
Jackson has 1,400 miles of paved roads.
Jackson ought to spend at least $2 million annually; some smaller cities spend that much or more.
If there were any justice, the county would pay 100 percent of Jackson’s road costs. Most Hinds countians drive Jackson streets; most don’t drive way out in the county.
City dwellers get to vote in county elections, too.
Clarion Ledger Editorial
8/3/5
