'I don't have a choice:' Jackson Council president says on voting for contract with Richard's

Next week, Jackson residents will find out the answer to a question that has been looming all year: Will city leaders be able to set aside their differences and agree on a company for a long-term garbage collection contract?

Or will history repeat itself and trash pile up on the streets? As of Friday, there were 17 days to make the decision.

Last week, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba announced his choice as Richard's Disposal Inc., the garbage collection company that was rejected for a long-term contract by the Jackson City Council last year, — sparking a 17-day trash crisis. Richard's will be up for another vote. The current one-year emergency contract with Richard's is set to expire on March 31.

The council will vote again for a long-term contract with Richard's on Tuesday, March 19 at their next meeting.

Details on Richard's contract: How much will new trash contract cost Jackson? Mayor releases deal with Richard's Disposal

Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Aaron Banks hosted a a town hall Thursday evening and discussed the contract with residents. Banks wanted to hear feedback on potential amendments his constituents would like to see added to the contract when the council discusses the vote.

When asked if he was going to vote in favor of Richard's Disposal Inc., for a long-term garbage contract, Banks told the Clarion Ledger:

"I don't have a choice but to vote for Richard's, and I wanted to get feedback from the people about the contract," he said.

Last year, Banks, along with Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes and Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, rejected Richard's Disposal for a long-term contract in a 4-3 vote. Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee, Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell and Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay all voted in favor.

Trash Crisis timeline: Council will vote on a new garbage vendor in the coming weeks. How did we get here? See more

If Banks stays true to his word and party lines stay the same as last year, it will secure the four votes needed to approve the trash collection company. Both Foote and Hartley told the Clarion Ledger last week that they would wait to look at the contract before deciding how they were going to vote.

Stokes is a different story. At the council's Feb. 27 meeting, Stokes introduced an ordinance aiming to ban Richard's Disposal from doing any business with the city, but it died on the floor. Stokes is going to try to get the ordinance passed again as he has put the same item on the agenda for the upcoming council meeting.

How is this year's contract with Richard's different?

If approved by the council, Richard's Disposal would enter into a six year contract worth $64 million with the city, charging  $891,000 a month.

This is about a $83,000 monthly increase from the city's current emergency contract with Richard's, which cost $808,035 per month.

Lumumba discusses Richard's pick: Mayor announces Richard's Disposal Inc. chosen for long-term contract. Council must now vote

Back in 2021, Richard's Disposal submitted a bid for a long-term contract worth $765,000 per month. Accepting the bid in 2021, taxpayers would have saved $43,035 per month, $516,420 per year and $1,549,260 over a three-year period compared to the emergency contract. That savings would be even greater compared to the new contract.

Another garbage collection company, Waste Management, submitted a bid in 2021 for $1,116,720 per month, which is just over $350,000 more expensive than Richard's 2021 bid. But even three years later, Richard's bid is still $225,720 cheaper per month than Waste Management or just over $2.7 million cheaper per year.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS Council President comments on upcoming trash pick-up vote