Quentin Whitwell applauded "good faith" work of lobbyist Donna Echols in working on the city of Jackson's behalf in recent weeks. Photo by Trip Burns.
A lot of the city of Jackson's legislative agenda has died. In fact, none of the 10 proposals that contain the phrase "city of Jackson" in the bill title survived the earliest committee deadlines.
All is not lost for the capital city, however. Walter Zinn, the city's lobbyist, added that the city also secured legislative approval that would give the city an additional two years worth of bonding authority for the 1-percent sales tax, which if projections are accurate, could draw another $30 million into the city's coffers.
Some hope lies in a bill that would broaden the definition of a tourism project and would make certain tax credits available for cultural attractions, such as entertainment districts. The measure, House Bill 1358, passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly and is currently under review by a conference committee of senators and representatives.
Plus, over the weekend, lawmakers agreed to borrow up to $230 million for construction projects around the state, including a handful of organizations based in Jackson.
The Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, which broke ground October 2013, will receive $14 million toward construction on the $80 million project, slated to be completed in time for the state's bicentennial in 2017.
In addition, the Museum of Natural History in Jackson and the Jackson Zoo, which recently obtained national reaccreditation, both got $500,000.
Before the session began, hopes were high for Jackson. Mayor Chokwe Lumumba's charm offense seemed to be working early, but his sudden death threw the city's legislative agenda into limbo.
On March 25, the Jackson city council voted unanimously to approve a professional services contract with lobbyist Donna Echols. City officials say late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba was working to hire Echols before his passing.
"Even though the legislative session is ending, Ms. Echols has been working in good faith with the policy department to help accomplish a few things that are being worked out," said Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell during the meeting.
Zinn, the city's policy chief agreed.
"In light of the mayor's passing, it helped having her around," he told the Jackson Free Press this morning.
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