Mississippi's capital city is considering a unique plan to slash water rates for poor people
The manager of the long-troubled water system in Missisisppi’s capital city has proposed a slight rate increase
JACKSON, Miss. — The manager of the long-troubled water system in Mississippi's capital city proposed a slight rate increase for most residents Friday alongside what he said is a first-in-the-nation proposal to reduce water rates for low-income people who get government help with grocery bills.
The proposal from Ted Henifin, the third-party manager of Jackson's water and sewer systems, is the culmination of a monthslong effort to increase revenue collections in a city where roughly a quarter of the population lives in poverty. If enacted, it would be the latest in a series of changes after infrastructure breakdowns in 2022 caused many Jackson residents to go days and weeks without safe running water.
“We think this is a great opportunity to really change the dialogue around water and sewer in the city of Jackson,” Henifin said at a news conference.
Henifin said about 5,000 properties in the Jackson area use water without paying, adding to the financial strain on a system that has about $260 million in outstanding debts. To increase revenue collections without burdening those who can't afford higher bills, Henifin's proposal creates a new rate tier for the roughly 12,500 Jackson water customers who receive benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps low-income people purchase groceries.
People who receive SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, will see their water bills lowered by an average of $20 a month. That arrangement does not exist anywhere in the country, Henifin said.
Henifin had previously floated a plan to price water based on property values to shift the
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