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Jackblog

Supes Continue Raiding Byram-Clinton Corridor Fund

At this morning's Hinds County Board of Supervisors meeting, supervisors distributed more than $250,000 to various recreational and other projects around the county. The money is coming from $3.5 million that had been set aside for the Byram-Clinton Parkway development project, which sparked intense debate between two board members.

In recent months, supervisors have routinely moved money from the parkway fund to the recreational fund. Today, supervisors doled out $262,000 to pave Village Drive ($70k) in northeast Jackson, playground equipment for Tougaloo Park ($50k), repairing a community center in Edwards ($80k) and resurfacing John F. Kennedy Drive in Presidential Hills ($62k).

Each vote passed 3-2, with Supervisors Robert Graham, Kenneth Stokes and Alphonso Hunter supporting the expenditures. Two of the projects -- the Village Drive resurfacing and Tougaloo Park lie in Graham's District 1. The town of Edwards and Presidential Hills are in District 2, where Hunter is the representative.

Peggy Hobson Calhoun of District 3 and Robert Walker of District 4 voted against each of the measures.

"We don't have enough funds to give everyone a piece of the pie," Hobson-Calhoun said at the meeting.

District 5 Supervisor Stokes, a staunch opponent of the parkway project, contends that the parkway project will never come to fruition and that the money could help other projects in the county now.

Comments

Knowledge06 10 years, 5 months ago

I wouldn't call using 'County Funds' to benefit portions of the 'County' raiding anything. Those funds were not Originally intended for use on the 'proposed' corridor. But of course you know that. I would submit that those uses of funds are far more beneficial to the County now than the corridor ever will be. A road to nowhere is a road to nowhere. That part of the county has NO population base to pull from. If you're simply talking about creating a 18 mile road for people to build houses then that's totally different. Corridors lead to something. Frankly, that road will not lead to anything.

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darryl 10 years, 5 months ago

Well, at least $1.25 million came from the Feds specifically for this project, so we can dispense with your insight in this regard, Knowledge (sic). And, the purpose of this project is not for the betterment of Jackson, much to all of your collective chagrin, but for the economic development of Hinds County. How did this money come to Hinds? Where is your Uncle Bennie from? Sure as hell not Jackson. No, he's from Hinds County, that great collective of hard-working people outside your blinders. Tank this project, and it's gonna be a Bennie versus Graham/Stokes/Hunter showdown. Should be moot when Hunter loses the election next month and Stokes loses his majority. Regardless, the betterment of the county is their charge and Stokes has been an abject failure along with Graham's utter lack of credibility/leadership in their duly sworn responsibilities.

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Knowledge06 10 years, 5 months ago

Actually darryl the funds the article speaks about is bond money that was earmarked for the Valley Title bldg. These are NOT federal funds. Those bond funds were repurposed to the corridor project. YOU are the one with no insight nor any knowledge. Those funds (repurposed bond funds) are for whatever purpose the board decides. Regardless of who wants the corridor to nowhere, it won't be built. Perhaps you can move there!

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