杰克逊市长霍恩发表市情咨文 1.5亿美元街道与排水计划成焦点
据密西西比州最大报纸《克拉里恩纪事报》10月13日报道，首府杰克逊市长约翰·霍恩当天在杰克逊会展综合中心发表其第二份市情咨文，约200名市民出席。霍恩就任市长15个月，他在咨文中回顾了本届政府的进展，并公布了下一步计划。
霍恩表示，市政府已为一项1.5亿美元的街道与排水计划选定承包商，并将推进更多道路施工、公共交通改善与经济发展项目；同时他承认城市仍有长路要走，进步不应被误认为大功告成。
供水问题仍是焦点。霍恩表示，他希望组建一个新的市政公用事业区，由市政府任命的董事会成员占多数，并聘请合格的第三方专业机构负责日常运营，不再由市公共工程部门直接管理。自2022年供水危机以来，杰克逊的供水与污水系统由联邦法院指定的临时管理方 JXN Water 运营；霍恩称市政府已向主持联邦供水程序的地区法官亨利·温盖特提交了上述方案，退出联邦监管的具体日期尚无定论。霍恩还表示，市政府此前多次尝试与 JXN Water 会谈进展不及预期，将在咨文后重启沟通。
Jackson Mayor Horhn Delivers State of the City Address, Touting $150 Million Street and Drainage Program
Jackson Mayor John Horhn delivered his second State of the City address on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Jackson Convention Complex before a crowd of about 200, according to the Clarion Ledger, Mississippi's largest newspaper. Fifteen months into his administration, Horhn reviewed his government's progress and announced plans for the coming year.
The mayor said the city has selected contractors for a $150 million street and drainage program and plans more roadwork, public transportation improvements, and economic development projects, while acknowledging the city still has a long way to go and that progress should not be mistaken for perfection.
Water remained a central issue. Horhn said he wants a municipal utility district whose governing board would be appointed mostly by the city, with a qualified third-party operator managing daily operations rather than the city's Public Works Department. Jackson's water and wastewater systems have been overseen since the 2022 water crisis by the federally appointed interim manager, JXN Water; Horhn said his administration has presented the proposal to U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate, who oversees the federal water proceedings, and there is no firm date for when the systems will leave federal oversight. Horhn also said efforts to meet with JXN Water had moved slower than he hoped and that he would renew those efforts after the address.
图片来源：密西西比州议会大厦（杰克逊），CC BY-SA 2.0，摄影：Ken Lund（Wikimedia Commons）
