Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham had good news this morning: the county has sold the Valley Title Building, located at 315 Tombigbee St., in downtown Jackson. Courtesy R.L. Nave
Friday, May 10, 2013
Hinds County Board of Supervisors President Robert Graham had good news this morning: the county has sold the Valley Title Building, located at 315 Tombigbee St., in downtown Jackson, and a new business is moving in.
"I can't say what the business is, because somebody from Madison County has probably got this room bugged, and they'll probably be trying to get them to come to Madison County," Graham said jokingly this morning at Koinonia Coffee House's Friday Forum.
The 40,000-square-foot building, located at the intersection of Tombigbee and Congress streets, formerly housed Mississippi Valley Title Insurance. The county Board of Supervisors agreed to purchase the building for $2.5 million in 2007, using funds from a $30 million bond issue.
To sweeten the deal, the Board of Supervisors voted at the time to attach $1.76 million in federal stimulus bonds as an incentive for buying the building. The tax-exempt bonds, officially called Recovery Zone Facility Bonds, function much like the Gulf Opportunity (GO) Zone Bonds that helped finance private development in Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. Federal legislation allows private entities to issue these bonds, the sale of which then provides capital for development projects.
Graham told the audience that, contrary to popular belief, people and businesses are moving to the county--just not at a fast enough pace to keep up with companies that are leaving.
Because communities in surrounding counties "steal" away businesses headquartered in Hinds County with tactics such as offering free land, Graham said, Hinds officials remain tight-lipped about the county's economic-development projects.
"We don't use names; we use codes, and we have to use those particular codes in order to maintain secrecy as to who wants to move to Hinds County," Graham said, responding to a question from an audience member.
Graham, who represents northeast Hinds County's District 1 on the board, said the keys to the county's business development strategy are safety, education and recreation--whether people have something to do besides go out to eat, he said.
The supervisor touted budget-saving measures such as privatizing certain pieces of the Hinds-run Raymond Detention Center, including medical services. Negotiating better deals on pharmaceuticals and having more on-site medical staff instead of shuttling prisoners to and from the hospital saved the county $1.5 million, Graham said.
In October 2012, the board contracted with New Rochelle, NY-based Quality Choice Correctional Healthcare to provide medical care for county inmates. QCCH replaced Reddix Medical Group, headed by Dr. Carl Reddix, which terminated its agreement with Hinds County citing a lack of county-provided nurses and non-medical staff at the jail making medical decisions. The county also privatized food services and is conducting a feasibility study to consider privatization of the jail's entire day-to-day to operation.
Comments
swalker 10 years, 11 months ago
What happened to the planned 205 Room Westin Hotel that suppose to been developed at the same location 315 Tombigbee St.? Which called for demolition of the MS Valley Title Building.
justjess 10 years, 11 months ago
I'm all for the sell of unused City properties for the sake of business development; however all of the privitization plans make me nervous - to say the least.
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
Privatization means less dependence on state and local government to provide funding and services. It also means net money coming in. What is not to like?
justjess 10 years, 11 months ago
@drryl "Privatizatin means less dependence on state and local government to provide funding and services. It also means net money coming in. What is not to like?"
The POWER. The ABUSE. The CONTROL: especially as it relates to jails, prisons and schools. In private jails and prisons, NUMBERS control funding and services. There are far too many African-American males and females who are locked up for minor charges. The more prisoners the private owner has - the more money he/she makes. Guess where the money comes from? That group that you described as being "less dependence on state and local government". These private facilities are supported by state and local tax dollars.
Mississippi is about to embark on the Charter School crap. Did anyone read the national studies on Charter Schools? These are also private programs that depend on "state and local governent to provide funding" for the services they render. So, money does not come in: the money goes out. The benefit of these two private systems should be the rehabilitation of prisoners and the production of students who are on grade level and with the academic ability to compete. Please know that when a child is taken out of a public school and enrolled in a Charter School, his/her money is taken from the public school and is given to the private corporation.
It ain't happening in either setting! The END does no justify the MEAN. Isn't this enough "not to like"?
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
Justjess, there will always be questions of power and control, and abuse by the ones not in power or control. For those of us who believe in the free enterprise system, if private companies provide better and cheaper/more efficient services than our local/state/federal government can, then all the better. No reason to inject race into a business transaction.
justjess 10 years, 11 months ago
@darryl "No reason to inject race into a business transaction."
OH REALLY!! I thought that we were discussing the privatizing of jails, prisons and public schools. The simple fact that BLACK FOLKS in this state are the ones who are the most adversely effected in these privately owned businesses. One of the reasons that there are so many problems in these systems is the fact that many like you do not feel/think that RACE matters.
It does.
Tight shoes do not hurt the feet of the man who is not wearing them!
darryl 10 years, 11 months ago
Justjess, you were discussing the prisons. I was commenting upon what the article was written. But, prisons or postal service, if a private company can offer commensurate services at a reduced cost, all the better. Your ire should be directed at the disproportionate crimes committed by blacks, not in the justification of a cash transaction.
"Tight shoes do not hurt the feet of the man who is not wearing them!" -- then that person has three options: get new shoes (adjust your outlook), keep on bitchin' (never solves an issue) or learn to live with it (accept your situation).
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