JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba says it’s too early to determine how the city will increase funding for Thalia Mara Hall, saying he won’t prescribe a solution until everyone has had a seat at the table.
“I will say that it is clear that we need more revenue in order to take care of an aging facility. What the equation of that is in terms of how we get there, I’ll stop short of going there until I’m able to have a conversation not only with our team internally but the stakeholders who often rent out Thalia Mara.”
Lumumba spoke to reporters on Monday, where he gave an update on Thalia Mara Hall during a press conference at the Ice House.
As for Thalia Mara, the 2,000-seat auditorium has been closed to the public since August, after officials found mold growth in the facility.
Lumumba said previously that the city has struggled to maintain the hall due to its age and a lack of revenue.
Thalia Mara can be rented out for $1,500 per event. The city also has a $3 surcharge added to tickets to help cover maintenance costs there.
According to records obtained by WLBT, since the surcharge was implemented in 2013, it has generated approximately $1,070,000, or around $97,000 a year.
The city council initially approved a $5 surcharge back in 2013 to cover bond debt on the facility. Jackson issued a $2.8 million bond to pay for air conditioner repairs there. The repairs were part of the city’s contribution to a multimillion-dollar upgrade to prepare the facility for the 2014 International Ballet Competition.
The surcharge was later reduced to $3 after an outcry from members of the arts community, who were afraid the higher cost would drive away patrons.
Revenue generated from the fee brought in less than a third of the $366,000 Jackson needed each year to retire Thalia Mara’s debt.
Chief Financial Officer Fidelis Malembeka, who was not with the city at the time, said Jackson had to dip into its general fund to make up the shortfall.
“Thalia Mara is not considered an enterprise fund, because it’s still housed under Human and Cultural Services. So, their expenses are supported by general fund dollars,” he said. “Ideally, what you want to see… is a mixture of revenue sources, so you’re not always reliant on tax revenues.”
Malembeka said the city likely will discuss revising the hall’s fee schedule once the current issues at the auditorium are addressed.
Microbial growth was reported in the hall on August 1, days after a chiller there went out. The combination of heat and humidity led to a mold outbreak.
[READ: Here’s the latest on Jackson’s efforts to reopen Thalia Mara Hall]
On Thursday, the city reported it was doing a second air quality test at the facility. It also was seeking additional proposals from firms to clean the hall.
| Thalia Mara Hall by the numbers | Surcharge revenue | Bond payment totals | Shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013-14 | $6,060 | $333,551.21 | $327,400.21 |
| 2014-15 | $100,761 | $333,551.21 | $232,700.21 |
| 2015-16 | $146,078.42 | $333,551.21 | $187,473.79 |
| 2016-17 | $124,918 | $333,551.21 | $208,634.21 |
| 2017-18 | $127,658 | $333,551.21 | $205,894.21 |
| 2018-19 | $171,139 | $333,551.21 | $162,413.21 |
| 2019-20 | $85,379 | $333,551.21 | $248,173.21 |
| 2020-21 | $5,526 | $333,551.21 | $328,026.21 |
| 2021-22 | $108,226.56 | $333,551.21 | $225,325.65 |
| 2022-23 | $124,857 | $333,551.21 | $208,695.21 |
| 2023-24 | $69,425 | $333,551.21 | $264,127.21 |
Lumumba also responded to questions regarding the State Fire Marshal’s findings from a September 9 inspection.
During the visit, inspectors discovered 22 violations of the International Fire Code. The city was given 10 business days to submit a remediation plan to the fire marshal or face having the building closed to the public.
Those violations included expired fire extinguishers, open junction boxes, blocked emergency exits, and other issues.
Deputy Fire Chief Elliott Holmes said the Jackson Fire Department had not inspected the facility since 2022, in part, due to staffing shortages in the Jackson Fire Department. At that time, he said only one discrepancy was found.
“We try to get to each building throughout the city on an annual basis, but sometimes that cannot be done,” he said. “And being that we knew we [were] behind with Thalia Mara Hall, what we [were] planning on doing was an inspection as soon as they got through with the construction and with the mold issue.”
Holmes said many of the violations reported by the State Fire Marshal could have happened at any time, including as soon as inspectors left.
“When you talk about a blocked entrance or maybe a malfunction here and there, those things can happen to any building at any time,” he said. “But at the same time, what we’re saying is that we [were] going to do the next inspection as soon as the building opened back up.”
For his part, Lumumba said any repairs at the facility would be made once the mold is abated. He said shutting down the building now would have little impact, considering it’s already closed.
“If they decide to red tag it, it will be an extra layer of protection for a building that no one’s in,” he said. “There’s no activity going on in Thalia Mara Hall because we are doing repairs. If we want to waste the tape, come on.”
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