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Residents demand audit of Jackson Water billing and answers on airport land deal
Summary
Multiple residents told the Jackson City Council that Jackson Water’s billing practices have produced wildly high charges and threats of disconnection, and urged the council to order an independent audit and halt unfair shutoffs; speakers also questioned whether a recent airport land deal favors neighboring cities over Jackson.
Several residents urged the Jackson City Council on Dec. 16 to take immediate, transparent action to address what they described as persistent and harmful failures by Jackson Water, including erroneous bills, poor customer service and unjust disconnections.
Jeremy Harris, who identified himself as a Ward 3 resident, told the council Ward 3 has ‘‘boarded windows, flooded ditches, abandoned homes’’ and accused the long-serving Ward 3 councilman of leaving the neighborhood ‘‘neglected’’ and ‘‘left behind.’’ Harris said residents who take initiative to clean and employ youth are ‘‘attacked instead of supported’’ and demanded that the council ‘‘do what’s right’’ and hold leaders accountable.
During public comment a council member interrupted Harris with personal accusations; Harris denied the charge and reaffirmed his residency in Jackson. The exchange underscored the meeting’s high emotions during the public-comment period.
Drexel Anderson described persistent customer-service failures at Jackson Water, saying he had waited three weeks for a supervisor callback about a leaky seal and recounting instances where utility bills stopped arriving to resident addresses. Anderson questioned whether subcontracting or billing-process changes contributed to billing errors and cited an $18,000 bill as an example of an anomalous balance that residents have faced.
Megan Dorothy Stewart, who said she had attended a packed meeting of affected residents in November, told the council she had heard residents report bills ranging from $800 to $53,000 and said those charges are ‘‘depleting their savings’’ and causing constant anxiety about shutoffs. Stewart noted that the Jackson Zoo had accrued a multimillion-dollar water debt without facing disconnection, framing the disparity as a painful question of fairness: "Are Jackson residents less deserving of reliable, affordable water than the animals at the zoo?" She called for three actions: an immediate halt to unjust service disconnections, an independent, transparent audit of Jackson Water’s billing practices and a full public accounting of the recent airport land deal so residents can see how it benefits Jackson.
No formal response to the public comments was resolved on the floor. Several council members later discussed the water crisis during consideration of later agenda items and in a separate motion to consider hiring special counsel; at least one council member suggested legal options including referring matters to a judge, and staff said some topics would be discussed in executive session.
The council did not adopt any new, council-directed audit or moratorium on disconnections in open session on Tuesday. Council members and city attorneys did say staff would share information and pursue follow-up; the council moved into executive session and later reported no official action taken.
What happens next: Speakers asked the council and the mayor to demand transparency from Jackson Water and to use "every legal and political tool available" to protect city finances and residents. Council members indicated they will continue to consider legal and administrative steps and to discuss the matter in committee and executive session.
