Jackson Free Press

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber responded today to a http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/news/2016/feb/03/unfriendly-skies-can-jackson-save-its-airport/">bill proposed by Senator Josh Harkins of Rankin County designed to give the Governor control of a regional board that would oversee the Jackson airport; the airport is currently run by a board that is appointed by the mayor of Jackson and confirmed by the Jackson city council.

Verbatim statement from City of Jackson:

Mayor Tony T. Yarber’s Statement on Sen. Josh Harkins’ Airport Legislation
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“The bill, as it stands currently, creates a regional governance with no true representation that considers population. It is highly unusual to see these kinds of governances established that take away the voice of the people in which it is supposed to represent, and it does not serve the best interests of these citizens. The airport is the result of the exclusive investment of Jacksonians, ranging from the early 1960s to date. Any attempt to legislate that investment away from those who made this exclusive investment is nothing short of an unsupported takeover.
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"The Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is a crucial economic driver for the City of Jackson, connecting Mississippi’s Capital City to the nation and world. There should be no question about the airport’s management as its revenues exceed expenditures annually. It would be detrimental to the citizens of the City of Jackson and the City’s future economic development plans to have the operation, management, and control of the airport stripped from the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, created by the governing authorities of the City of Jackson in 1960 pursuant to state law.”