In a very tense council meeting this week, members voted on an agreement for the city’s wrecker/tower service. The last such agreement expired in 2002.
The council voted 4-3 for a towing agreement that set the rate for most towed vehicles at $75, which includes cars, vans, light trucks, mopeds and motorcycles. Other fees vary based on the size of the vehicle. Some wrecker services have charged as much as $100 since the last agreement expired.
Before a packed council chamber, the agreement came after temperatures flared that also yielded insults and accusations from several council members. At one point during the meeting Council President Frank Bluntson, who represents Ward 4, had to call for a five-minute recess so that cooler heads could prevail.
Several towing companies were present at the council meeting and voiced their disdain for the new measure.
One company that did not want to be identified for fear of retribution or loss of business said, “The city’s new towing fee of $75 is lower than the industry standard.” He also added, “what’s to stop my wrecker service in Jackson from putting a $75 administrative charge on your $75 ticket and charging you $150? There’s nothing in the ordinance that says we cannot do that.”
Council members Margaret Barrett-Simon, Jeff Weil and Tony Yarber opposed the measure, while Kenneth Stokes, Frank Bluntson, Chokwe Lumumba and Charles Tillman voted in favor.
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