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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the Melton administration revealed to City Council today that they still need $3 million in order to balance the city’s budget—even though Council has already adopted a 2008 budget, which was supposed to balance the budget. The city wants to borrow the $3 million from the city’s 7 million reserve fund. Administration officials refused to show up at a 2 p.m. budget meeting to answer questions about the shortfall, the Ledger reported.

Previous Comments

How low can we go? This s*** is bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

#129498 | Author: golden eagle ’97 | Date: Sep 24 2007

You’re kidding right? I mean this has to be a joke since $3M just doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

#129499 | Author: Puck | Date: Sep 24 2007

Q: Is the Melton Administration Breaking the City? A: YES! I was wondering about the shortfall for this year. Something didn’t seem right from the media reports or what Walker and Co. were telling the Council. But, it’s not Blunston’s fault. He called into Kim Wade and said so. He wasn’t even there, so don’t go blaming him.

#129500 | Author: pikersam | Date: Sep 24 2007

Understand that this is only Ledger stuff for now, and you know how well we can trust that. BUT, if it’s true, guys …

#129501 | Author: DonnaLadd | Date: Sep 24 2007

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more incompetent bunch of yucks in my life. Melton, Walker, O’Reilly-Evans and Anderson need to go, at the very least.

#129502 | Author: DonnaLadd | Date: Sep 24 2007

I agree… very far, far, far away.

#129503 | Author: Puck | Date: Sep 24 2007

Hearts, minds and spirits broken, why not the pockets too? Meltonomics is like Bushonomics – without a plan or aim.

#129504 | Author: Ray Carter | Date: Sep 24 2007

I can’t understand why y’all won’t let little frankie do his job. Little frankie knows what is best for you. Here drink this Kool-Aid and it will be OK…..

#129505 | Author: Cliff Cargill | Date: Sep 25 2007

frank told the citizens of Jackson that it was easy being a mayor. “All you have to do is sit behind a desk and sign papers all day.” He further stated that he did not like sitting behind a desk and that he would be out in the City getting rid of CRIME. So, what is the problem?

#129506 | Author: justjess | Date: Sep 25 2007

Founding Editor Donna Ladd is a writer, journalist and editor from Philadelphia, Miss., a graduate of Mississippi State University and later the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where she was an alumni award recipient in 2021. She writes about racism/whiteness, poverty, gender, violence, journalism and the criminal justice system. She contributes long-form features and essays to The Guardian when she has time, and was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Jackson Free Press. She co-founded the statewide nonprofit Mississippi Free Press with Kimberly Griffin in March 2020, and the Mississippi Business Journal named her one of the state's top CEOs in 2024. Read more at donnaladd.com, follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @donnerkay and email her at donna@mississippifreepress.org.