In spring 2006, Mayor Frank Melton broke his 14-month silence toward the Jackson Free Press, after refusing to give an interview to the newspaper after critical coverage of his campaign by JFP editor Donna Ladd, who was later joined by Adam Lynch and Brian Johnson. Over several weeks, Ladd spent…
 
by ladd on 10/18/07 at 04:22 PM Comments (0) -- Read More...

The Jackson Free Press has gotten reports over the last week that people high up in the Melton administration are appearing before a federal grand jury this week to testify about his actions. Sources tell us that City Attorney Sarah O'Reilly Evans was scheduled to appear yesterday, and The Clarion-Ledger reported today that Police Chief Shirlene Anderson appeared yesterday. Sources have said for months that the FBI is probing a variety of actions by Melton—from the Ridgeway duplex demolition to possibly illegal searches to reports of influence over the awarding of public contracts.

See the JFP's Melton blog/archive for background and the original breaking stories on these topics.
 
by on 10/11/07 at 09:22 AM Comments (20) -- Read More...

by Adam Lynch
September 28, 2007

The administration of Jackson Mayor Frank Melton got its wish from the council in a 3-to-2 vote in favor of raiding $3 million from the city’s $7 million budget reserve fund to fix a lingering hole in the 2007 budget. “I don’t like the idea of taking money out of the fund, but I don’t see any other way to deal with (the shortfall)," Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said.
 
by ladd on 09/28/07 at 11:03 AM Comments (7) -- Read More...

The Clarion-Ledger is reporting that the Melton administration revealed to City Council today that they still need $3 million in order to balance the city's budget—even though Council has already adopted a 2008 budget, which was supposed to balance the budget. The city wants to borrow the $3 million from the city's 7 million reserve fund. Administration officials refused to show up at a 2 p.m. budget meeting to answer questions about the shortfall, the Ledger reported.

More details when Adam Lynch returns from City Hall.
 
by ladd on 09/24/07 at 04:17 PM Comments (9) -- Read More...

by Candy Hagwood and Donna Ladd
Sept. 20, 2007

Sources tell the Jackson Free Press that Mayor Frank Melton may have fired police officers who muddled the response to reports on Ludlow Street Monday that Henry Phillips, 50, was brandishing a weapon outside the house of…
 
by ladd on 09/20/07 at 04:34 PM Comments (33) -- Read More...

by Adam Lynch
September 7, 2007

Amid rumors that he is en route to Las Vegas for a music awards event, Jackson Mayor Frank Melton fell through on his pronouncement to deliver a new budget proposal this morning—and didn't show up himself for city budget meetings. Melton told the council yesterday that he would procure a new budget himself overnight that did not include a tax increase, after enduring accusations from council members that his preferences—such as cuts to JATRAN and the JRA—were not reflected in the current budget proposal.

“With the president’s approval, I’ll have this budget balanced in the morning. You’re not going to like it, but I will balance it in the morning,” Melton told council members yesterday.
 
by ladd on 09/07/07 at 11:50 AM Comments (62) -- Read More...

by Adam Lynch
September 6, 2007

Jackson Mayor Frank Melton told City Council members this morning to toss out the current city budget after some members criticized the discord between the mayor and his own budget. He vowed to produce a new budget by tomorrow morning.

Melton discredited his current budget yesterday, telling a Clarion-Ledger reporter that he did not agree with his own budget proposal’s call for a tax increase.
 
by maggie on 09/06/07 at 01:27 PM Comments (18) -- Read More...

by Donna Ladd
August 30, 2007

At District Attorney-elect Robert Smith’s victory party, Mayor Frank Melton said that Smith is one of his long-time “kids” who will now help him with the young men of Jackson he is trying to save. "I thank God tonight that I have somebody now who will help me with these children ... who will put these drug dealers in jail."

A primary way Melton is trying to save young people is by giving them city jobs ranging from lawn workers to managerial positions in Parks and other departments. The day before the election, Melton announced that the “formerly incarcerated” would be directed by Marlon Warner—a formerly incarcerated man who pled to the lesser charge of manslaughter in 1994 after being charged with the murder of Willie Everett. More recently, Warner, 33, pled to possession of cocaine on Feb. 2, 2005. The private attorney who asked for that plea deal was Robert Smith.
 
by ladd on 08/30/07 at 06:33 PM Comments (15) -- Read More...

Citizen bloggers are reporting that a jubilant Mayor Frank Melton introduced Robert Smith, his choice for district attorney, last night at Smith's campaign gathering. In his remarks, made before Smith's, the mayor said that Smith was his choice for the office, but that he had needed to keep his distance…
 
by ladd on 08/29/07 at 08:36 AM Comments (19) -- Read More...

by Adam Lynch
August 24, 2007

Lots of determination, but no details formed the substance of Mayor Frank Melton’s State of the City Address at the Alamo Theatre this morning. An emotional Melton, who is under investigation by the FBI, took the stage after an introduction from his 82-year-old Cuban aunt, apologizing for a myriad of snafus during his two-year term as mayor. “I’ve made some mistakes, but they’ve been mistakes of the heart,” Melton told the audience. “… I cannot and will not do anything that’s designed to hurt another human being. That’s not my nature.”
 
by maggie on 08/24/07 at 07:11 PM Comments (37) -- Read More...