Jackson’s mayor and a majority of the City Council gave their support Monday to a proposal advancing at the Capitol that would put long-term control of the city’s water and sewer systems under a separate utility authority. Residents, though, offered concerns during a crowded town hall meeting that included tense confrontation between officials.

House Bill 1677 would create a “Metro Jackson Water Authority” led by a nine-member board who would appoint a president to run daily operations. The bill passed the House last week and awaits action in the Senate. The Jackson City Council called a meeting Monday to hear residents’ thoughts on the idea.

Several Jacksonians also backed the bill, arguing this was as good a deal the city would get. In previous legislative sessions, lawmakers have only introduced bills that would give a majority of the board appointments to state officials.

“From my perspective, we’re caught between a rock and a hard place,” said John Byrd, vice president of the Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods. “It’s problematic we’re in this situation, but we’ve got to get out of this situation. This is a way to ease out of the burden and hopefully get back onto sound ground.”

Jeffrey Taylor, a resident who used to work for the Jackson Fire Department, called the proposed authority “the lesser of other evils.”

HB 1677 would give the city input on a majority of the nine seats. Those positions would include: Jackson’s mayor; two at-large appointees selected by the mayor; one recommendation each from Byram’s and Ridgeland’s respective mayors, who would then need approval from Jackson’s city council; and the president of the Greater Jackson Chamber of Commerce. The governor would have two at-large appointees and the lieutenant governor would have one.

The new authority would kick in once a federal judge releases third-party utility JXN Water from control of the water and sewer systems. JXN Water manager Ted Henifin has projected that to happen by 2027, although U.S. District Court Judge Henry Wingate has the final say.

While five of the nine seats would go through elected Jackson officials, residents on Monday said they were worried that having unelected people run the water and sewer systems would dilute the democratic process.

“ When authority to manage a public utility is moved from elected officials and entrusted to an appointed board, the public loses its direct avenue for accountability at the ballot box,” said Nsombi Lambright-Haynes, representing the Jackson NAACP.

Lambright-Haynes and others also said the bill should include a process for the water and sewer systems to come back under the city’s direct control once they’ve been stabilized.

The city council voted 4-2 for a resolution backing the House proposal, while also advocating for the water authority to have a fair billing dispute process. Ward 5 Council Member Vernon Hartley and Ward 2 Council Member Tina Clay voted against the bill. Ward 3 Council Member Kenneth Stokes was absent.

Hartley panned lawmakers for not having public forums to discuss the bill earlier in the process.

“I do have a message for our politicians out there: How dare you bring something to us without going to the public?” he said. “They’re the ones paying the bills.”

Hartley also said it felt like lawmakers were pressuring the city to rush into a decision when there could be other options.

Rep. Justis Gibbs, a Democrat from Jackson, was in attendance. While agreeing with residents’ concerns with the bill, Gibbs said the Democratic-led city would likely not get a better offer from the majority-Republican Mississippi Legislature.

“ We really have to manage our wishes and our expectations with the amount of votes that we can influence in the state Legislature,” he said.

Ward 7 Council Member Kevin Parkinson pushed back on suggestions that the city would have less control under the proposed authority.

“We now have 0% control of the system,” Parkinson said.

Tensions ran high earlier in the meeting, when Parkinson repeated to Henifin a common sentiment locals have expressed about JXN Water: While the utility has made major infrastructure improvements, it hasn’t done as well with its billing and customer service. Henifin took exception to the remark.

“I take offense,” Henifin said. “Everyone likes to say, ‘Oh you’ve done a great job with the infrastructure.’ We’re doing a great job with the billing system. It’s just painful. People don’t want to pay their bill. There’s been a culture here of folks …”

Groans from the crowd immediately drowned out his voice, to which Henifin responded, “Whatever, I’ll take the heat.”

Mayor John Horhn, a former state senator, said forming a water authority would help the city manage its $197 million in debt associated with its water and sewer systems. If the bill passed, the debt would transfer from the city to the authority. Horhn said the move would make lenders more willing to restructure the debt payments. A water authority would also be able to borrow more money, which JXN Water currently can’t do.

While the city would be involved with a majority of the board appointees, some potential actions under HB 1677 would require more than just a majority vote. Rate increases or expenditures over $5 million would require agreement from three-fourths of the board, which is more than the five seats the city would have direct control over.

During the town hall, Byram Alderwoman Roschelle Gibson said the bill wouldn’t give her city fair representation on the board because the Jackson City Council could reject their nominees. JXN Water serves about 4,200 customers in Byram.