Budget Shortfall Means Worse Roads for Jackson, warns official
JACKSON - The Jackson Public Works Department's budget for the coming fiscal year is set to drop from $22 million to $14 million, the department's director told the City Council.
At a special council meeting on the FY2026-27 budget held Aug. 24, Lorenzo Anderson, who identified himself as public works director, told council members, "our budget was approved in 2026 for 22 million and now it's $14 million that's being proposed. So, that's a $8 million um deduction." The remarks came during budget deliberations as council members reviewed department funding levels for the upcoming fiscal year.
Earlier in the same meeting, council members had displayed photographs of deteriorated roadways and blocked stop signs across the city, illustrating concerns about infrastructure conditions that were raised alongside the budget discussion.
The proposed cut would reduce funding for a department responsible for road maintenance and related infrastructure work at a time when council members were highlighting visible deterioration in city streets and signage. The reduction was presented to the council as part of broader deliberations over the city's overall spending plan for the coming fiscal year.