City leaders clash over Highway 80 revitalization

City leaders clash over Highway 80 revitalization

DE'KEITHER STAMPS, WARD 4,JACKSON CITY COUNCIL:29 :35"IT WENT THROUGH SEVERAL PERIODSOF DECLINE.

THE ECONOMY HASBEEN DRAWN AWAY FROM THIS AREA."CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA, JACKSONMAYOR4:23 4:31"I BELIEVE HWY.

80 HAS ALL OFTHE BONES TO BE AS SUCCESSFUL ASLAKELAND DRIVE." EP: THEHIGHWAY 80 CORRIDOR THROUGHJACKSON WAS ONCE A BUSTLING,THRIVINGAREA LINED WITH VIBRANTBUSINESSES.NOW, A LOT OF THOSE BUSINESSESARE CLOSEDOR ABANDONED.

PART OF THISSTRETCH IS INJACKSON CITY COUNCIL MEMBERDE'KEITHERSTAMPS' WARD.

HE SAYS THE CITYGETS $1-POINT-6 MILLION ANNUALLY FROMGRANDGULF NUCLEAR STATION INCLAIBORNE COUNTYBECAUSE HIGHWAY 18, WHICHINTERSECTS WITHHIGHWAY 80, IS AN EVACUATIONROUTE.DE'KEITHER STAMPS3:40 3:53"FOR YEARS, THE MONEY HAD BEENGOING TO THE GENERAL FUND.

WEWROTE A LAW SAYING, BECAUSE IT'STHE EVACUATION ROUTE WEWANTED USED FIR ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT AND BEAUTIFICATIONANDTHOSE THINGS."EP: STAMPS SAYS WHEN CHOKWEANTARLUMUMBA WAS ELECTED MAYOR, THATCHANGED.DE'KEITHER STAMPS2:01 2:07"IN 2017, WE HAD ANADMINISTRATION CHANGE AND THECITY TOOK A DIFFERENT DIRECTIOWITH THOSE RESOURCES."3:07 3:14"NEW SOFTWARE SYSTEM FOR THECITY, CALLEDTHE ERP SYSTEM.

SOME RAISESWERE GIVEN OUT,AND A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS."EP: THE MAYOR STRONGLYDISAGREES.CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA :44 1:00"THE REPRESENTATIONS THAT HAVEBEEN MADE BY COUNCILMAN STAMPSABOUT THIS ADMINISTRATIONSTEALING MONEY FROMTHE GRAND GULF FUND TO PUTELSEWHERE INTO AN ERP CAN'T BEFURTHER FROM AREPRESENTATION OF THE TRUTH.

EP:LUMUMBA SAYS THE DECISION THATSTAMPS IS TALKING ABOUT HAPPENEDDURING THEPREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION.CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA 1:24 1:31"WHEN THEY MADE THAT DECISION,THEY DID NOT ADJUST THE BUDGETSO THAT THE CITY COULD FINISHWITH A BALANCED BUDGET AT THEEND OFTHE YEAR."1:51 2:01"THE ONLY RECOURSE THAT WE HADAS A CITY, WHICH THE COUNCILAGREED WHEN WE PUT ITFORWARD OVERWHELMINGLY, WAS TOPUT IT BACK BECAUSE WE HAD TOFINISH WITH A BALANCED BUDGET."EP: ONE THING BOTH MEN "DO"AGREE ON ISTHAT THE HIGHWAY 80 NEEDS TO BEBROUGHTBACK TO LIFE.

PEOPLE WEREEXCITED TO HEARTHAT THE OLD METROCENTER MALLCOULD BE MAKING A COMEBACK.

THENEW OWNER SAYS IT WON'T BE ALLRETAIL, BUT MORE OFA COMMUNITY MARKETPLACE.SOMETHING TO BRING PEOPLE BACKTO THEAREA.DE'KEITHER STAMPS7:43 7:57"METROCENTER WAS TRULY SOMETHINGBECAUSE WHEN IT WAS BUILT, ITWAS THE FIRSTIN THE STATE, FIRST MECCA MALLIN THESTATE, IT WAS ACCESSIBLE TOEVERYONE."EP: STAMPS AND LUMUMBA BOTHWANT TOSEE THIS AND OTHER PARTS OFHIGHWAY 80FLOURISHING AND PROSPEROUSAGAIN.CHOKWE ANTAR LUMUMBA 2:32 2:44"THERE ARE OTHER EFFORTS ANDOTHER MEASURES THAT WE CAN TAKEIN ORDER TO SEETO THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ALLWANT FOR HWY.

80, BUT WE CAN'TBREAK THE LAW IN TRYING TOACCOMPLISH IT AND LEAVING ANUNBALANCED BUDGET.DE'KEITHER STAMPS4:21 4:30"THE CITY HAS TO PUT LIFE BACKINTO IT AND SHOW THE INTERESTAGAIN, SO WE CAN GETBACK TO WHERE WERE AND BEYONDAND THAT'STHE NEXT STEP FOR THE WHOLECOUNCIL."EP: IN JACKSON, ERIN PICKENS,16 WAPT.

THE MAYOR SAYS HE'S TALKED TOTHEGOVERNOR AND OTHER LEADERS ABOUTDO