The Jackson City Council drew a new line Tuesday, Feb. 10 on how the city handles homelessness, approving criminal penalties for outside drop-offs and hitting pause on new homeless service expansion in West Jackson.
In a sign of how far some leaders wanted to go, Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote pushed to raise the drop-off penalty from $1,000 to $100,000. Much to the dismay of the council, City Attorney Drew Martin said state law limits cities to fines of up to $1,000 and/or one year in jail, which is the penalty the council ultimately adopted in the ordinance.
Introduced by Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley, the ordinance makes it illegal for outside entities to transport unhoused individuals into Jackson without authorization. It passed 7-0 and is effective immediately…