All right, Democrat Monroe City Councilor Rodney McFarland, we’ll take your word that you’re “far from being a fool.” But so are others in government, the citizenry, and the general public who are on to your game that puts a political agenda and its associated theater ahead of responsible consideration of the people’s needs.
At the last Council meeting, the independent Mayor Friday Ellis Administration brought back a proposal to improve the Jackson Street corridor from DeSiard St. north of St. Francis Medical Center south past Interstate 20, a bit more than one and a quarter miles. Originally approved in 2012 by the state with a local match of just under 20 percent, the Democrat former Mayor Jamie Mayo Administration did nothing with it. Ellis resurrected the project as part of his Downtown Strategic Plan, but after Council approval in 2021 when it went out to bid the city ended up rejecting those it received as these came in substantially higher than the allocated funding.
Since then, the state came up with more dollars that broadened its scope to include accessible sidewalks, traffic control devices, and lighting. After the city reworked the plan, the state authorized it again to move forward but with an increased local match from $479,000 to $777,000, so this increased price tag required additional Council approval.