The Department of Communications is responsible for managing and coordinating all internal and external messaging for the organization. It oversees public relations, marketing campaigns, branding, social media, website content, media relations, and internal communications. The department ensures that information is clear, consistent, and aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. By developing strategic messaging and maintaining a strong public presence, the Communications Department helps build trust, strengthen reputation, and effectively engage key audiences.
The Department of Communications is responsible for managing and coordinating all internal and external messaging for the organization. It oversees public relations, marketing campaigns, branding, social media, website content, media relations, and internal communications. The department ensures that information is clear, consistent, and aligned with the organization’s mission and goals. By developing strategic messaging and maintaining a strong public presence, the Communications Department helps build trust, strengthen reputation, and effectively engage key audiences.
The Department of Communications for the City of Jackson is committed to keeping residents informed about important city initiatives, events, and public service updates. Through the News section, citizens can stay up to date on major announcements from city leadership, infrastructure improvements, public safety updates, and community programs taking place across Jackson.
Our goal is to provide timely and accurate information that helps residents stay engaged with what is happening in their city. The Communications Department works closely with city departments to share updates on policies, projects, and services that impact daily life in Jackson. From road improvements to community events, this page serves as a central place for official city news.
The City of Jackson believes that strong communication builds stronger communities. By regularly publishing news releases, media updates, and event highlights, the Department of Communications aims to increase transparency and strengthen the connection between local government and the people it serves. Residents are encouraged to check back frequently for the latest updates and announcements.
City of Jackson awarded $25,000 grant to advance efforts that support family economic stability
JACKSON, MS — The City of Jackson has been selected as one of six communities nationwide to receive funding through Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign for the inaugural Mayors Advancing Economic Mobility grant opportunity. Jackson will receive $25,000 as part of a $175,000 total grant pool designed to help cities reduce poverty and strengthen family economic stability. The total funding will support two grant pathways, including the Economic Mobility Coaching and the Municipal Child Tax Credit Planning initiative. The grant opportunity is a national grant pool open to active members of the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger.
“No child should have to wonder where their next meal is coming from. Ending childhood hunger is our responsibility,” said Mayor John Horhn. “We’re going to keep working with our partners and doing whatever it takes to make sure children have the food they need to grow and succeed. That’s why this Mayor’s Alliance initiative is so important. This investment gives Jackson another tool to support families and help build a city where every child has a better chance to thrive.“
“For more than 25 years, LIFT has partnered directly with families to build brighter futures through economic mobility coaching grounded in financial empowerment, living-wage employment, and educational achievement, all built on a foundation of hope, money, and love,” said Michelle Rhone-Collins, CEO at LIFT. “Breaking generational cycles of poverty requires systems-level change, and we’re excited to support these Mayors with tools, resources, and insights informed by LIFT’s approach as they work to create the conditions for more families to thrive.”
The grant will support Economic Mobility Coaching, a funding pathway focused on municipal planning efforts to implement LIFT’s model for helping families improve financial stability, reduce material hardship, and connect to support services through everyday community touchpoints such as schools, health care settings, social services, and neighborhood institutions.
Jackson is joined in the Economic Mobility Coaching cohort by Mayor Frank Scott, Jr. of Little Rock, Arkansas; Mayor Monroe Nichols of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Mayor Connie Alsobrook of Conyers, Georgia; and Mayor Christal E. Watson of Kansas City, Kansas, representing Wyandotte County.
City officials said the grant will help Jackson continue building local strategies that connect families to long-term economic security.
For Jackson residents, the award represents a chance to expand local planning in neighborhoods across the city.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, 1 in 6 kids could face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.
About the Mayors Alliance
Launched in 2022, the Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger harnesses the individual and collective leadership of mayors to end childhood hunger in communities nationwide. There is no excuse for children to go hungry in our country. Yet it happens – every day, in every community. The Mayors Alliance to End Childhood Hunger is a nonpartisan coalition working in partnership with Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to ensure that every child has the healthy food they need to thrive.
JTRAN, Union Reach An Agreement
The City of Jackson announces that JTRAN and the union representing its drivers have reached and ratified a new agreement, bringing an end to the labor dispute and supporting the continued delivery of public transportation services for Jackson residents.
The agreement includes provisions addressing driver salaries and a safety plan, along with an approach to the proposed microtransit service that will use smaller vehicles to help serve residents throughout the city. The agreement reflects a commitment to protecting workers, maintaining safe operations, and meeting the transportation needs of the public.
Mayor John Horhn worked with the Jackson City Council to secure a critical provision that helped finalize the agreement: three months of strike pay for employees who participated in the strike.
“This agreement is good news for our JTRAN drivers, for the residents who depend on public transportation every day, for MV Transit, and for the City of Jackson,” said Mayor John Horhn. “Our drivers play an essential role in getting people to work, school, medical appointments, grocery stores, and other important destinations. They deserve to be treated with respect and to have a safe workplace. I appreciate the willingness of everyone involved to come together and work through these issues. I am especially grateful to the City Council for joining us in providing three months of strike pay for the workers who stood up for a fair agreement. That support helped us reach this resolution. My priority throughout this process has been making sure Jackson residents have access to safe, reliable transportation delivered by well-qualified, professional drivers who serve the best interests of the public. Today’s agreement moves us forward and allows us to focus on providing the dependable transit service our residents expect and deserve.”
The City thanks JTRAN drivers, union leadership, MV Transit, the mediator, and all parties involved in the negotiations for their efforts to reach a resolution.
First Lady Horhn Calls for Community Support for Foster Youth
Jackson, Miss. – Recently, First Lady Lydia Gail Horhn joined the Mississippi Southern First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Church of God in Christ, Inc. (COGIC) for a powerful Gathering of worship and fellowship, where she served as a guest speaker and helped shine a light on the urgent needs within the foster care system.
During her remarks, First Lady Horhn highlighted the reality facing thousands of children, both in Mississippi and nationwide, including the shortage of licensed foster homes, the challenges tied to neglect and parental substance abuse, and the more than 20,000 youth who age out of the national system each year without permanent family support.
She encouraged attendees to take action by mentoring, tutoring, and supporting foster youth as they prepare for adulthood, whether through guidance on education and careers, or by helping meet critical needs like transportation, mental health services, and financial literacy.
“Stronger support for foster youth helps create safer communities and opens the door to brighter futures for our children,” said First Lady Horhn. “Each small act of care and guidance can change the course of a child’s life.”
The First Lady also commended COGIC and Davis Temple COGIC for elevating this important issue and supporting both children and the professionals who serve them.
City of Jackson Seeks Volunteers for Code Enforcement Training
Jackson, MS – The City of Jackson is now accepting applications for its Volunteer Code Enforcement Community Training + Action program, an opportunity for residents to help identify and report neighborhood code concerns.
The one-week training cohort is limited to 15 participants and will provide volunteers with guidance on observing assigned areas safely, documenting concerns, and submitting reports for City review and follow-up. No special experience is required.
Applications are due by August 27. Interested residents may reserve a spot by emailing neighborhoodservices@jacksonms.gov.
For more information, contact Jennifer West at (601) 960-2006.
Statement from the City of Jackson
The City of Jackson has determined that the “Cruising on Capitol” event scheduled for Saturday, July 25, 2026, will not move forward at this time.
In light of recent concerns, the City must ensure that any future event of this kind is properly regulated, and supported by clear conditions that protect the public, neighboring properties, and City operations.
The City remains open to considering future events that meet all necessary requirements.
The Communications Department serves as the primary point of contact for members of the media and the public seeking official information from the City. This section provides media contact information for press inquiries, access to the city’s press release archive, and guidelines for requesting interviews or filming on city property. Journalists and media representatives can use this page to find the appropriate contacts, review official announcements, and learn the procedures for coordinating interviews with city officials or staff. Guidance for photography, video recording, and news coverage requests is also provided to help ensure an organized and timely response.
