Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. hosted a town hall-style meeting Tuesday night, using the forum to address a number of citywide issues and opening the floor to discussion from a packed house at the Robert M. Walker Building.
Among concerns addressed at Tuesday’s meeting were public safety, employee pay raises, progress on the city’s animal shelter, the recent push to consider changing the city’s form of government, housing updates, trash collection payment increases, the city’s Riverfront Park property, the 2025 city budget and street paving projects.
While some topics of discussion received more attention and garnered more questions from the audience than others, each issue was addressed separately during the town hall.
Below, The Vicksburg Post breaks down concerns discussed Tuesday over raises for city employees, as well as housing and street street paving.
Employee raises
In May, Flaggs announced he would recommend to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen pay raises for employees of the Vicksburg police and fire departments designed to be implemented in phases throughout the remainder of 2024 and early 2025.
The raise for Vicksburg Police Department (VPD) he said would include a pay increase of at least 3 percent for new officers. Incoming officers currently make $18.12 per hour/$40,407.60 per year. Flaggs said he would recommend increasing pay to $19 per hour/$42,370 per year.
Current officers, depending on rank and years, he said, will receive an increase of no less than a 2 percent pay increase.
Phase 2 of the plan would include an increase in pay for Vicksburg Fire Department and other city employees making under $50,000 annually and would go into effect October 1. Flaggs said fire department employees would receive an increase depending on rank and certification.
Flaggs said Phase 3 would include a 3 percent pay increase for all city employees making above $50,000 and would go into effect January 1, 2025.
Tuesday, Flaggs said the pay increases are expected to aid the city in recruiting and retaining quality employees, and remaining competitive with the private sector.
“Pay raises for the first responders went into effect June 26,” he said. “(Vicksburg Fire Chief) Derrick Stamps came to me and said, ‘Look. If I can start every young man that graduates out of high school at $40,000 a year,’ and look what I did. We’ve got nine right now waiving their starting date so they can start.”
Flaggs said attracting and retaining first responders is vital for Vicksburg’s continued safety.
“We have carefully reviewed out budget and we are confident that these pay raises are feasible and necessary to a commitment to our public safety, while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Competitive pay is crucial to attract and retain the best talent.”
Housing
Flaggs said housing and areas considered blights to the overall community are continuing projects at city hall, with Community Development Director Jeff Richardson giving the Board of Mayor and Aldermen updates throughout the course of each month.
“I try to do what’s right for this city,” Flaggs said. “Not just a few of us, but all of us. We don’t own the houses. We lease them. If I go up and ask you to improve your houses, improve all the code enforcements, you wouldn’t have no houses. I’m trying to do it proportionately. I’m trying to do it in a way that as we tear down, we build up.”
Flaggs said he recently met with President and CEO of the Vicksburg-Warren Economic Development Partnership Pablo Diaz about a plan for building houses inside the city.
“I’ve got 32 (homes) coming up on Indiana Avenue next to the Dollar General. And the Dollar General is in the county. It’s not in the city, because we have regulations. We have codes.”
Street Paving
Flaggs addressed the ongoing street paving projects throughout Vicksburg, noting several audience members who named specific roadways and areas of town that require attention.
“We’ve done a great job from Hanley to Jackson Street and we’ve got more to do,” he said. “There’s a street so bad, we went in and got money to improve that. We’ve got to go to Clay Street, Washington Street, and in your neighborhood too.”
Flaggs did however caution residents to be aware some streets are outside the city’s jurisdiction.
“Some streets you bring to me are on private property,” he said. “I can’t go on private property and pave no streets.”
Flaggs told residents with specific concerns to reach out to the city by calling the action line at 601-636-3411.
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