Jackson City Council members are blasting the mayor’s decision to hire an ex-convict to oversee the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. They said they were disappointed and absolutely opposed to Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s appointment of Steve Hutton, who spent time in prison after pleading guilty in 2021 to promoting prostitution.“Hell to the naw, naw,” Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said. “The way the process is supposed to work is that even though the mayor has the authority to make appointments, he should talk to council members to make sure that you have the votes.”Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee said she would be fearful of someone with Hutton’s background being around children and women in city parks, including the Jackson Zoo.“I will not be supporting him,” Lee said. “Anyone with a felony makes you question morals and integrity should not be over a multimillion-dollar budget.”The mayor defended his decision during a Monday news conference and praised Hutton for nearly doubling the revenue at Pete Brown Golf Course, where he previously worked after his conviction. Hutton was fired as executive director of the State Fair Commission after he was arrested in 2020 by Madison police and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. “I heard (Lumumba) say he believes in second chances. I believe in second chances, too,” said Council President Aaron Banks.Banks said he is disappointed the mayor didn’t consider the deputy director already inside the department. “I think experience matters,” Banks said. “I think someone educated in the field matters, and I think someone that’s been working closely with the employees on a day-to-day basis in that department matters.”Hutton will only serve on an interim basis. The mayor plans to launch a nationwide search for a permanent director. Still, some council members believe the decision undermines the public’s confidence in city leaders.
Jackson City Council members are blasting the mayor’s decision to hire an ex-convict to oversee the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
They said they were disappointed and absolutely opposed to Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba’s appointment of Steve Hutton, who spent time in prison after pleading guilty in 2021 to promoting prostitution.
“Hell to the naw, naw,” Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes said. “The way the process is supposed to work is that even though the mayor has the authority to make appointments, he should talk to council members to make sure that you have the votes.”
Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee said she would be fearful of someone with Hutton’s background being around children and women in city parks, including the Jackson Zoo.
“I will not be supporting him,” Lee said. “Anyone with a felony makes you question morals and integrity should not be over a multimillion-dollar budget.”
The mayor defended his decision during a Monday news conference and praised Hutton for nearly doubling the revenue at Pete Brown Golf Course, where he previously worked after his conviction. Hutton was fired as executive director of the State Fair Commission after he was arrested in 2020 by Madison police and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation.
“I heard (Lumumba) say he believes in second chances. I believe in second chances, too,” said Council President Aaron Banks.
Banks said he is disappointed the mayor didn’t consider the deputy director already inside the department.
“I think experience matters,” Banks said. “I think someone educated in the field matters, and I think someone that’s been working closely with the employees on a day-to-day basis in that department matters.”
Hutton will only serve on an interim basis. The mayor plans to launch a nationwide search for a permanent director. Still, some council members believe the decision undermines the public’s confidence in city leaders.
