JACKSON, Miss.—South Jackson residents are organizing over what they say has been a lack of municipal investment in their neighborhoods and a decline in their quality of life in recent years, they said during a July 18, 2024, meeting at the Peggy Calhoun Community Center on Willowwood Boulevard.
“Our leadership has failed us,” Ernest Ward, a long time resident and president of the Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods, said during the meeting.
About 50 residents attended the ASJN meeting, where Ward gave an impassioned speech urging them to be vocal about issues plaguing their neighborhoods.
Tim Henderson, a 2024 candidate for the Jackson mayoral seat, was one of those in attendance.
Despite paying taxes, Ward said, residents do not believe they are receiving adequate municipal services. “We are not getting the quality of life we’re supposed to get. What y’all gonna do?” Ward asked the crowd gathered on a Thursday night. “Are you going to continue to stay silent?”
During the meeting, he cited a lack of investment from the 1% sales tax, lackluster code enforcement of city ordinances, a desire for increased police presence, and ongoing issues with water and sewer services as some of the problems.
While residents across the capital city have grappled with issues like crime, fires at abandoned properties, illegal dumping and decline in population, problems have been particularly persistent in some South Jackson neighborhoods.
Staffing shortages, which have plagued several departments across the city in recent years—including the Jackson Police Department, Jackson Code Enforcement and the City’s Solid Waste division—may be exacerbating the issues.
Several South Jackson neighborhoods have maintained stability over the years, but as others have dealt with a rapid decline in homeowners, the residents that remain believe they have also had to deal with a decline in the quality of services they receive.
“Some of this is our fault because we’ve allowed this to happen,” Ward said, imploring residents to hold local leaders, including the Jackson Police Department, accountable. He said many residents believe these issues are affecting their home values.
Ward, along with several other neighborhood association heads, first brought their concerns to city leaders during a June 18 Jackson City Council meeting at Jackson City Hall.
Radio host and organizer Sherri Jones said during the July 18 meeting that residents may consider legal action, but their first objective is to have a conversation with the mayor to develop a timeline for how the issues can be addressed.
“What’s going on in South Jackson is a humanitarian issue,” Jones said.
Aside from the mayor, ASJN representatives are also seeking to speak with county and state officials over the conditions, Jones told the Mississippi Free Press on July 19.
The Mississippi Free Press reached out to the Mayor’s office on July 19 regarding ASJN’s concerns. City of Jackson Communications Director Melissa Faith-Payne declined to comment on the issue.