The $1.9 trillion stimulus bill just signed by President Joe Biden could provide Jackson with the money it desperately needs to address its water infrastructure crisis--according to Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann. Mayor Chokwe Lumuba is requesting $47 million from the legislature. Hosemann says the federal stimulus bill includes $500 million to help low-income families pay their water bills.
“This would subsidize that and go directly to those bills which would of course provide dollars for redoing the infrastructure. And then I looked last night as well. The city gets $44 million from the new act and the county gets $46 million,” said Hosemann.
Also the Lt. governor says he’ll be reviewing a report from the state economist about the House bill that would phase out the state income tax over 10 years. He says he did notice,
“It doesn’t appear to agree with other numbers that have been circulated by other people. The chairman of finance is looking at the bill, so I’ll probably get with him tomorrow and sometime after we’ll meet and start looking at what ‘what do you think about this, that and the other,’” said Hosemann.
The bill would immediately end income tax for singles making $50,000 or less and couples making $100,000 or less; reduce the grocery tax from 7 percent to 3.5 and raise sales tax to 9.5 percent. Hosemann says the deadline to pass the bill is Tuesday.
