JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Driving down Bailey Avenue, unsightly and burned properties are easy to spot. Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes is on a mission to change that.
Stokes is working to create an initiative to tear down the burned structures. He said the current city ordinance must be revisited in an effort to yield faster results to help rid the community of the eyesores.
“The City of Jackson sends a message that we’re going to catch you if you have a fire bug. We’re going to prosecute you. We find these structures, we’re going to take them down quickly. We’re not going to allow burnt structures to stand for years,” said Stokes.
Frustrated homeowners said they filed various complaints throughout the years to the City of Jackson with little or no results.
“It’s hard to get anybody to clean them up. We’ve been trying, and it’s not the first time that we tried to get people to come and help us. We got children,” said homeowners Ruth Scotrell and Burtha Anderson.
The council is preparing to address the issue in the March agenda. As of right now, there is not a proposed timeline for the completion of the initiative.