Councilman Stokes proposes $20 million reallocation for police, fire, Ward 5 zoo and Grove Park

Councilman Stokes proposed reallocating $20 million during Jackson City Council deliberations over the 2025–26 budget, asking colleagues to place the funds in the clerk’s office budget and earmark specific amounts for public safety, neighborhood projects and a rainy-day reserve. "I so moved that we take $20,000,000 out of the budget, place it in the clerk's office, in the clerk's budget," Stokes said.

Stokes outlined a breakdown he said should come from that $20 million: $5 million for the police department, $2.5 million for the fire department, $1 million for the Ward 5 zoo project and $1 million for Grove Park, with the remainder placed in a rainy-day fund. The council clerk, Shaniquia Jordan, restated the proposed allocation: "We have $20,000,000 into the clerk's budget, $5,000,000 for the…