Monsour says if MDOT won’t cut grass, he will – VIDEO

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Vicksburg South Ward Alderman Alex Monsour has been lobbying the Mississippi Department of Transportation to do better job cutting grass inside the city limits ever since he took office three years ago. He even proposed to former Central District Transportation Commissioner Dick Hall that Vicksburg take over cutting grass in the areas MDOT has jurisdiction. He was hopeful with a new commissioner that some improvements would take place.

Unfortunately, the improvements haven’t happened. Vicksburg still has unkempt, shaggy grass along Interstate 20 interchanges and state highways. So, for the second year in a row, Monsour and a crew have taken to the highways with mowers and weed eaters in hand to cut grass ahead of this holiday weekend.

“I was elected based on my promise to do everything possible to keep Vicksburg clean and presentable,” Monsour said Thursday. “If MDOT won’t cut the grass, I will. It looks horrible to our residents and the visitors to our city to have all these areas overgrown.”

Both Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and Monsour have a good relationship with first term Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons. Simmons served 26 years in the State Legislature as a senator before being elected to the Central District post last fall.

MDOT has traditionally contracted the grass cutting for this area and usually cuts three times per year. Monsour is planning to address the issue with Simmons next week.