Ward Three Councilman Kenneth Stokes introduced an ordinance Tuesday that would dissolve the city's Planning and Development Department and fold most of its divisions into the Jackson Police Department.

Under the proposal, Building and Permits, Planning and Zoning, and Developmental Assistance would move under JPD. Rental Registration and JTRAN would shift to Human and Cultural Services. The Planning and Development Department itself would cease to exist, five divisions relocated and one department eliminated in a single stroke.

"People call today with a problem of housing or something like that. They tell them they have to call the Planning Department," Stokes said, according to WLBT. "Certain divisions in the city need to go to police."

Stokes urged the council to act that night. Council President Vernon Hartley instead sent the measure to the Planning and Development Committee for further review.

"We need sufficient time to make decisions that are going to be accurate and correct," Hartley said, per WLBT. "We have not had an opportunity to fully explore all the ramifications of this. So, a couple more weeks won't hurt."

The ordinance is not new territory for Jackson. Stokes said the city had no Planning and Development Department when he first joined the council, and under former Mayor Tony Yarber, code enforcement sat inside the police department. The proposal would return the city to that older structure.

Ward Six Councilwoman LaShia Brown-Thomas said she backs moving Code Enforcement under JPD but was unsure about the rest. "The police department has a lot of other things going on," she said. "But I'm not against your item."

Ward Four Councilman Brian Grizzell wanted the council to act immediately, saying it was time to "reimagine what Code Enforcement looks like." He said he has "full faith and trust in the new chief" to oversee the function.

The council recessed its Tuesday meeting until Friday, July 31. It was not known whether the ordinance would come up at that session.

The move lands at a delicate moment. Jackson is courting data center development that depends on the very permitting and zoning functions the ordinance would relocate, and the city is running a $36 million deficit that has already forced budget fights on the council.

The question no one on the council has answered: what happens to the city's development pipeline if Planning and Zoning answers to the police chief instead of a planning director? The committee review Hartley ordered will decide whether that question ever gets asked in open session.