JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – As the garbage dispute in Jackson continues, one councilman is accusing the mayor of running the city like a mob boss.
Richard’s Disposal trucks came in and out of gates near Hawkins Field Airport on Friday, April 1. They have been collecting trash throughout the city, but city leaders are split on the contract being lawfully signed.
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes was one of four councilmembers to vote down the mayor’s emergency contract with Richard’s Disposal twice.
Stokes said the city will not be able to pay Richard’s Disposal because he is accusing the mayor of illegally signing the contract.
The mayor invoked his right to veto, moving forward with the emergency contract. He said if the council wanted to overwrite it, it would have to go on the agenda.
Stokes said that without payment, Richard’s could stop picking up trash until the issue is settled in court, which could take months.
Another major concern by community members is having a trash collection agency less than half a mile away from their neighborhood could possibly cause environmental issues.
“Houses, people actually live in this neighborhood. While I was standing here, I saw a sign that got my attention. If you look right behind you, what does that say? No dumping. Stop trashing Jackson. Some hypocrite put a dump right across the street, in front of the sign. Let’s get together and get this dump out of our neighborhood,” said neighbor John Williams.
“How are they practicing environmental discrimination by placing harmful trucks, smells and materials in a poor neighborhood around poor Black people or brown people? Why would they place trucks where the drainage, a town creek and the water run off will go into our creek system and into the Pearl River where people fish?” said Stokes.
Stokes said he would have liked to have had public meetings and environmental tests conducted before Richard’s was allowed to set up shop in the area.
He and other members of the City Council said they will continue to fight the mayor’s emergency contract, even if that means taking this case to the Mississippi Supreme Court.