Jackson residents amazed by proposal to raise mayor, city council pay

• “Amazing, the troubles this city has and the leaders, people who have the power, to do something think they deserve more money,” said one resident.

Jackson residents expressed shock Wednesday morning after learning of a proposed pay increase of 40 to 42 percent for their mayor and city council members.

The hefty pay raises were introduced at a council meeting on Tuesday.

The proposal was to increase the mayor’s salary by 42 percent to $170,000 annually, up from approximately $120,000. In addition, council members, who are considered part-time, would see an increase to $35,000, up 40 percent. The council president’s extra $2,000 would remain as it is currently.

Proponents said the pay raises are long overdue, as salaries have not been raised since 2001.

The proposal was introduced by Council President Virgi Lindsay, the Ward 7 representative, who said the city leaders’ pay was “ridiculously low.”

The 40 percent pay jump for council members averages out to a 1.5 percent increase annually, Lindsay said, when considering the last time the salary was raised, adding that it is far below the cost-of-living adjustment given to other employees. For the mayor, the 42 percent amount is equal to a 1.74 percent increase annually, she said during the council meeting.

However, on the streets of Jackson, city taxpayers were not overly happy with the proposal, saying they could use that money for more immediate problems, such as roads, homelessness, blighted housing, combatting the high violent crime rate, and economic development.

When told of Lindsay’s comment, several shook their heads, saying that not every employee receives an annual pay increase.

“Amazing, the troubles this city has and the leaders, people who have the power, to do something think they deserve more money,” said Alonzo Rowe, a 42-year-old father of three.

Doris Harris, a 57-year-old office worker, had trouble grasping how living on $120,000 in Jackson is an economic hardship.

“I live fine on less than half that,” she said, adding that the mayor and council knew the pay was low when they ran for office. “God forgive me, but I have a problem with feeling sorry for these people.”

Many of the ten Jackson taxpayers interviewed agreed with Rowe about the city’s plight.

Shelby Foster, a 29-year-old beautician, said she is worried for her kids in the Jackson Public School System. Her 11-year-old is struggling academically, and she said the school is saying they cannot provide the services he needs.

“They mayor [could] get a $50,000 a year raise, the council several thousand [dollars] a year. Give that money to the schools, help the future [leaders] of Jackson.”

Only one Jackson resident who spoke with Magnolia Tribune approved of the raises. Alban Vance, a retired homeowner, said his endorsement was conditional. He is opposed to salary increases if it means his property taxes go up. But if not, he said he is fine with the raise.

“They gonna a do, what they gonna to do,” he said, walking away.

When approached by Magnolia Tribune, city employees declined to offer their perspective on the proposed increases for the mayor and council.

Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote expressed opposition to Lindsay’s proposal. Foote said with the challenges the city faces right now, “I don’t like the optics of having big pay raises at the same time that we’re having so many difficulties getting things straightened out in the City of Jackson.”

If green-lighted by the city council, it would be the incoming members who would see the increases come July 1 and after the June 3 municipal general election. A vote on the proposal is expected at the next council meeting in two weeks.