Governor declines to make Jackson authority appointments yet, citing Wingate order
By Alex Rozier | Originally published by Mississippi Today
Gov. Tate Reeves announced Friday afternoon he is not yet naming his board appointees for the Metro Jackson Water Authority. Of the board’s nine members, state law gives the governor two appointees, as well as a third to be decided between him and Jackson Mayor John Horhn.
In a social media post, Reeves cited U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate’s injunction on Thursday preventing the water authority from taking actions until he decides whether the new governance structure would interfere with his oversight of Jackson’s water and sewer systems.
Wingate said the “status quo must remain undisturbed,” referencing the work he and receiver JXN Water have done since 2022 to rehabilitate the infrastructure. The judge’s injunction, though, specifically allowed state and local officials to make board appointees as he reviews House Bill 1677. The bill, enacted during this past legislative session, set a deadline for Friday for choosing the board’s appointees.
In his comments, the governor said he doesn’t see any conflict from the new water authority with Wingate’s oversight.
“Nevertheless, out of respect for and due to the Court’s entry of a ‘status quo’ injunction, I will not be making my three appointments to the Authority board at this time,” Reeves wrote.
Under HB 1677, the authority would only take over at Wingate’s discretion. While JXN Water manager Ted Henifin said he expects to step down in 2027, the judge has made no indication as to when he plans to relieve the receiver of his role.
The bill also says the authority must negotiate a lease agreement for the water and sewer assets with Jackson officials. In requesting the injunction, the city argued it first needed directions from Wingate on how to proceed. It’s unclear whether Jackson leadership, who protested HB 1677 for not giving the city a majority of appointments, is willing to sign the lease under the authority’s current structure.
Reeves shot back at the city in his Friday post, doubling down on his recent comment that the water and sewer systems shouldn’t return to their previous place under municipal control. He said the city ignored “the facts of the last four years,” referencing the 2022 near collapse of the water system and progress made since then. The city’s injunction request “further solidifies my belief that the governance of the system can NEVER be returned to the pre- August 29, 2022 structure that led to the initial Emergency Declaration,” the governor wrote.
“The people of Jackson and the ratepayers of the system deserve better than having to ever go through that mess again,” he added, while praising the “vast improvements” made under JXN Water. “The Authority created under House Bill 1677 is the best way to ensure future chaos is avoided.”
Who’s been named to the authority board so far?
On Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann selected Jackson businessman Sandy Carter, who spent 34 years at local bank Trustmark administering municipal bond issues, which included financing for the city’s water and sewer systems.
“Having followed Jackson’s water system for more than 20 years, he brings valuable institutional knowledge and experience to the board,” Hosemann’s office said of Carter in a Tuesday press release. The release also described him as a longtime Jackson resident with experience in community leadership.
Three of the named board members so far have engineering backgrounds. Ridgeland selected its city engineer, Paul Forster, as its appointee. Byram put up Tramone Smith for its position on the board. Smith, a Jackson State University graduate, is a project engineer at local consulting firm WGK. He has a master’s degree in environmental engineering and “extensive” experience in wastewater treatment design, his bio says.
Jackson Mayor John Horhn’s selections include Daniel Walker, CEO and president of Adonai Environmental Development and Power. Walker, also a JSU graduate, is a water treatment professional, according to a city press release. His water treatment experience includes work at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station in Port Gibson as well as Nissan. Walker also consulted on projects supporting NASA, the release said.
Horhn’s other two selections are Jackson residents Shirley Tucker and Austin Barbour. Tucker has held several local business leadership roles, such as with the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, Mississippi Minority Business Alliance Inc., and the Woman Business Center of MS.
Barbour is the managing partner at consulting firm The Clearwater Group, which specializes in lobbying, advocacy and development. Nephew of former Gov. Haley Barbour, Austin Barbour has an extensive political background with the Republican Party. In 2008, he managed Sen. Roger Wicker’s first U.S. Senate campaign. Barbour has also worked on campaigns for former Sens. Thad Cochran and Mitt Romney, as well as former Texas and Florida Govs. Rick Perry and Jeb Bush, respectively. Barbour was also an adviser for former Gov. Phil Bryant and Reeves when he was lieutenant governor.
During Horhn’s mayoral campaign, he accepted $4,000 in donations from a political action campaign affiliated with Barbour’s firm, Mississippi Today reported last year.
Horhn’s selections need to be confirmed by the Jackson City Council. City Attorney Drew Martin said he expects that vote to happen Tuesday.
The last seat on the water authority’s board must be decided between Horhn and Reeves. Horhn recommended retired major general Augustus Collins. In 2012, Bryant appointed Collins to be adjutant general of Mississippi. Collins, who joined the state National Guard in 1977, served in Operations Desert Shield/Storm and Iraqi Freedom, his bio says. He, as well as Tucker, also graduated from JSU.
This article was originally published by Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Source: Original Article
