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Jackson resident urges council not to cut city funding for local nonprofits
Summary
A Jackson resident told the budget committee that proposed cuts to city funding for nonprofits would shift costs to vulnerable residents and increase pressure on emergency services, and urged the council to consider modest tax or spending realignment alternatives.
Adam Johnson, a Jackson resident, told the committee he was "deeply concerned about the proposal to cut city funding for local nonprofits." Johnson said the organizations provide essential services that prevent homelessness, hunger and downstream pressure on other public systems.
"These nonprofits are not optional. They're critical infrastructure," Johnson said during public comment. He told the mayor and council members that cutting funding would "shift" costs onto the most vulnerable residents and could increase demand on police, emergency services and schools. Johnson said Jackson has not raised property taxes in more than two decades and urged leaders to consider alternatives such as "a modest tax adjustment, a realignment of spending, or collaboration with nonprofit leaders to explore other options and solutions."
Johnson closed by urging the council to maintain partnerships with local providers rather than withdraw support: "The measure of being a public servant is how it cares for its people. I ask you not to walk away from the partnerships that have made Jackson Stronger, but to double down on them." The council proceeded to the budget items on the agenda after public comment.
