An alderman continues to question Yazoo City’s decision to replace the youth summer work program with seasonal workers in the public works department, adding that he said an official vote never took place on the matter.
Alderman Macklyn Austin first voiced his opposition to the removal of the annual youth summer work program this year during the June 11 Mayor and Board of Aldermen open board meeting. The matter was revisited again during last week’s board meeting.
“It was stated that we elected for us to have temporary seasonal workers in the street department,” Austin said, during last Monday’s meeting. “I think we all agreed on that, but there was never a discussion or a vote that said we would do away with the summer kids having a summer job or replacing them.”
During the June 11 meeting when Austin first brought the matter to the table, Mayor David Starling said he had also received several phone calls about the program. But he reminded Austin of the action the city council had previously approved.
“We voted on it collectively, and you were a part of it,” Starling said, to Austin. “We decided to go with seasonal workers so that they could operate the machinery with public works. We have for the last few years did get our young people, but this year we decided to move with seasonal workers.”
However, Austin said he could not find where such a vote, or conversation for that matter, took place. He admits the board agreed to bring on seasonal workers, but he said replacing the youth summer work program was not part of the agreement.
“I wanted to make sure that I was clear on that,” Austin said. “There was never a conversation or vote done in order to replace one with the other.”
Alderwoman Elizabeth Thomas said the discussion of hiring temporary seasonal workers had been entertained in the past. But she said there were concerns as to how the city would budget for the workers. She added that the seasonal workers “had nothing to do with the summer youth workers.”
“When it came up this time last year, we discussed the ten seasonal workers,” she said. “It was asked of (Robert) Green (the city’s public works director) to go into his budget with (City Clerk Kaneilia) Williams and look to see what he could trim to get the allocation for those ten seasonal workers. That is how they got hired through the city. It had nothing to do with the summer youth workers. Those ten seasonal workers came out of Mr. Green’s budget.”
After Thomas’ commentary, the matter was not discussed again during last Monday’s board meeting.
Based on recent city board minutes, most of the current temporary seasonal workers were hired at $11 an hour to work until Sept. 30, 2025.
Last year, city leaders hired 25 youth members to join the annual work program, which was held from June 12 until July 31 of 2024. Starling and each alderman selected and hired five young people of their choosing to participate in the annual work program, which allowed the youth to experience the workforce while providing a service to their local community.
Last year, the participants were paid $10 an hour and worked part-time at 20 hours a week. Based on previous reports, the program typically came with a price tag of about $35,000. Also, during last year’s hiring process, Austin said the program was important to him because he was a participant within the program during his own youth.
The Yazoo County Board of Supervisors also holds a youth summer work program. County Administrator Donna Kraft said the county has about 18 young people working within the program, adding that the total cost associated with it runs from about $30,000 to $35,000. She admits the county did not have one last year, which prompted the board to prepare its budget with the program in mind, allowing it to return this summer.
