As Monday’s public hearing wound down, an exchange between Ward 7 Councilman Kevin Parkinson and interim Third Party Water Manager Ted Henifin captured the divide now shaping Jackson’s water debate: visible infrastructure progress, but billing frustrations residents say are hitting them the hardest
Parkinson praised Henifin and his team at JXN Water for infrastructure improvements across the city, but said billing and customer service complaints continue to dominate what he hears from residents and businesses. Henifin said the sequence was intentional. Restore safe drinking water, stabilize the sewer system then turn fully toward billing and collections.
“There’s been a frenzy because we are now 100% turned towards billing and collection,” Henifin said. “And I take offense that everyone likes to say, ‘Oh, you’ve done a great job with the infrastructure.’ We’re doing a great job with the billing system. It’s just painful. People don’t want to pay their bills. There’s been a culture here of folks…”…