JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Jackson Mayor John Horhn announced a recent agreement between Rankin County and the City of Jackson regarding the land surrounding the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.

It is important for the public to understand that this agreement does not transfer or surrender any City of Jackson property. The City of Jackson continues to own all airport lands, including the surrounding acreage. What has changed is simply the incorporation status of that land, allowing Jackson, Pearl, and Flowood to legally include portions of the land within their municipal boundaries for purposes of planning and taxation.

For Jackson, this means new opportunity where there was none before. Currently, this area is not incorporated and therefore generates no sales or property tax revenue for the City. Under this agreement, the portions incorporated by Jackson will now allow our city to collect property and sales taxes from development, leasehold interests, and business activity on the land, all while maintaining full ownership of the property.

Any land incorporated by another city will not result in ownership changes; instead, it allows those cities to extend essential services such as water and sewer. In fact, Pearl has already agreed to provide these services within the next 18 months, relieving Jackson of that financial and operational responsibility.

This deal does not give away one inch of land. The City of Jackson remains proud owner and steward of the airport and its surrounding lands, and we are committed to ensuring that this partnership strengthens, rather than diminishes, our city’s economic future.

Simply put: Jackson is not giving away land. We’re putting it to work for the people of Jackson.
Mayor John Horhn, City of Jackson

Mayor Horhn said the agreement was approved by the Jackson City Council in a 5-2 vote.