Two aldermen recently expressed the desire to repair the, at times, severed relationship between city and county leaders.
The city of Yazoo City and Yazoo County have often disagreed when it came to some interlocal agreements, ranging from fire protection to parks and recreation. However, both the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors have typically remained grounded with their own stances, which has led to tension at times.
But Aldermen Ron Johnson and Aubry Brent Jr. announced during the recent city council meeting they are ready to mend the relationship between the two governing boards.
“The city and the county have to come together for Yazoo City to grow,” Johnson said. “I hope with the new year, we can get together and move Yazoo together as a whole.”
Brent said he was concerned about the direction of the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2019.
“We had issues last year,” Brent said. “Our kids did not know whether they would be able to swim or not, and it was from lack of funding... The city was holding up to its obligation.”
Brent reflected back on the 1978 legislation that established Parks and Recreation Commission.
““At the time, each entity was to come up with two mills,” Brent said. “That was over 40 years ago…everything has increased in terms of price. Therefore, they need more money. The city has been upholding its obligation.”
Brent said he hopes the county supervisors receive his message in “a positive way.”
Let all supervisors know, I love you all individually, but we were elected to do a job,” Brent said. “We were not elected to have all these differences that disallow us to come together as a board. We should come together, sit down, work problems out and make sure our parks and recreation survive. I am willing to sit down and make sure 2019 is a better operational year for the two boards and parks and recreation.”
“We are going to work with any organization we can, but we will also not be held hostage,” Mayor Diane Delaware added later in the meeting.
