Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. hosted a town hall-style meeting Tuesday night, using the forum to address a number of citywide issues and opening the floor to discussion from a packed house at the Robert M. Walker Building.

Among concerns addressed at Tuesday’s meeting were public safety, employee pay raises, progress on the city’s animal shelter, the recent push to consider changing the city’s form of government, housing updates, trash collection payment increases, the city’s Riverfront Park property, the 2025 city budget and street paving projects.

While some topics of discussion received more attention and garnered more questions from the audience than others, each issue was addressed separately during the town hall.

Below, The Vicksburg Post breaks down concerns over the city’s new animal shelter, trash collection and the 2025 city budget in part two of a three-part series stemming from the public meeting.

Vicksburg Animal Shelter

The City of Vicksburg is closing in on the completion of a new animal shelter located on U.S. Highway 61 South. The facility’s construction marks the end of a multi-year search for a new animal shelter. The current shelter is more than 50 years old and sits on a tract of land on Old Mill Road that has been subject to frequent flooding issues.

But residents have questions about the shelter’s completion date, which, in late 2023, was moved back until February. Since then, city officials say the holdup on opening the new facility lies with unfinished work to its roadway, fencing and parking lot.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Flaggs said the $1.7 million investment’s final hurdle is simply a part of the process of construction.

Responding directly to a question from the audience concerning the remaining work left at the shelter, Flaggs said the bid process has led to the delay.

“I understand, but I’m telling you the law provided the process which we took,” Flaggs said. “We’re going to get there. I promise.”

While Flaggs did not offer a concrete completion date, he reasserted the importance of the project.

“The decision to allocate significant funds to our animal shelter reflects our commitment to provide an essential service to our city residents,” he said. “Just as we prioritize infrastructure and public safety, the care and welfare of our animals are equally vital and important.”

Trash pickup rates

Addressing raises in rates for trash collection for city residents, Flaggs said his administration has explored a number of avenues for the most efficient way to address the collection problem; however, he stressed the rates themselves are the product of Waste Management, Inc., which was the lone bid to contract to provide the service.

Flaggs also said clauses within the contract with Waste Management have led to the change in picking up debris following storms and other events.

“I’ve tried my best. I’ve used color codes to the best of my ability,” he said in reference to the different colored trash cans being utilized to meet differing needs in varying parts of the city. “I didn’t want to raise your, and don’t want to raise your garbage collection fees, but you know what? I got it imposed on me. A time when Waste Management put in this contract, not the other contract, is that they would no longer pick up debris. They charge us now.”

Currently, Vicksburg citizens with green garbage cans are allowed one can per residence. Those requiring a second can are issued brown cans. Vicksburg’s downtown district utilizes red cans, Flaggs explained.

“They say, ‘Well, why color code?’ Because color codes have worked,” he continued. “And they’ve gotten us where we are today.”

Flaggs said he expects the budget beginning October 1 will include fees “somewhere between $16.50 and $20.”

“It’s got to up,” he said. “I had one other alderman that was talking about using reserve money. But guess what? You can’t use general funds. Unitl you raise it, you’ve got to go into your taxes.”

2025 city budget

“In the 2025 budget, I’ve brought something to Vicksburg that has never happened before, and that is that you have to cap your budget at 95 percent of your last year’s budget,” Flaggs told the audience Tuesday. “Is that not conservative?”

Flaggs said the approximately $34 million budget will be addressed in detail at the August 9 city budget hearing.

“I have brought in as much as $200 million in this city,” he said.