Vote 'yes' for water bond issue

The city of Jackson is home to caring, hard-working and upstanding men and women who have a long and proud history of supporting progress for the benefit of our city and its residents.

On Aug. 4, Jackson voters have an opportunity to show their support for a critical issue impacting Jackson's current residents and the city's potential for future growth. Voters will consider an $11.5 million water bond issue to upgrade Jackson's water system, replacing deteriorating and insufficient pipes, increasing water supply with a new storage tower and well, and improving existing well and pumping equipment.

These changes are urgently needed. Aging water pipes -- some installed more than 80 years ago -- are inadequate in neighborhoods across Jackson, affecting fire safety, household water pressure and water supply. More than 6 miles of pipe -- 34,000 feet -- are in critical need of replacement.

These insufficient pipes pose a substantial fire safety risk; without access to adequate water flow, the Jackson Fire Department is forced to bring in water tanker trucks to provide additional water supply in emergency situations, which slows down critical response times.

The proposed changes include replacing outdated 2- and 4-inch pipes with larger 8-inch pipes, which will address fire safety concerns, expand capacity and also open up new revitalization and development opportunities, including the Uptown area, where water supply issues limit the types of business and industry that can locate there.

Projects will be rolled out in three phases of three years each and paid for through a gradual increase to the city's annual water rates over a six-year period. These rate increases represent less than $11 per month for the average homeowner (from the current $22.51 for a 5,000-gallon user to $33.23 in 2022).

I urge Jackson voters to consider this issue carefully before stepping into the voting booth on Aug. 4. Our residents' safety and our city's future are at stake, which is why the Jackson Area Chamber of Commerce has chosen to support this bond issue. On Aug. 4, we hope you will as well.

Brian Gerau is the director of the Jackson Chamber of Commerce.