South Jackson neighborhood, City disagree on communication surrounding enforcement issues

The growing controversy between residents of South Jackson and the City of Jackson continues on as Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba made a point to address some of the issues this week.

Two weeks ago, the Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods (ASJN) held a meeting at Willowood Community Center, rallying the community around efforts to increase enforcement of ordinances in their neighborhood. The association also spoke at the June 18 City Council meeting, expressing concerns over issues such as illegal dumping and parking, broken traffic lights and phone lines and lack of police presence. They also said they wanted a meeting with the mayor and could pursue legal action.

Lumumba said Monday that he tries his best to be accessible to residents and listen to their concerns, adding that he has met with ASJN president, Ernest Ward, on several occasions. When Lumumba’s executive assistant reached out to Ward, Lumumba said, Ward informed the mayor’s office that he wanted to communicate through his attorney.

“I can't possibly see how an attorney can be effective in the process of what he's talking about, but to each his own,” Lumumba said.

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In addressing residents' concerns, the city has cleaned the littering in South Jackson several times and had JPD create a division for illegal dumping, Lumumba added.

Lumumba also said that he had the city attorney reach out to ASJN’s attorney, Mike Brown.

“Our city attorney has informed me that after a couple of efforts in communicating, this attorney has not gotten back,” Lumumba said. “So I want people to know that we are on top of it. We communicate as we always have.”

Brown, however, said the city attorney reached out to him only once and left a voicemail.

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“He introduced himself for the first time on voicemail on Wednesday, 7/24, 1:51pm,” Brown said on Tuesday. “He said, ‘Call back at your convenience. You may have trouble getting in touch with me today, Wednesday or tomorrow, Thursday.’”

Brown said he called the city attorney back Tuesday morning, but has not heard back.

“[The call from the city attorney] was just an introductory attempt to have a conference, not to set any meeting,” Brown said Tuesday.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: South Jackson neighborhood, City disagree on communication surrounding enforcement issues