Candidates Square Off At Mayoral Forum

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Voters will return to the polls to elect Water Valley’s next mayor in less than two weeks and had an opportunity to hear from the four candidates in a Mayoral Candidates Forum last Thursday. 

Candidates Donald Gray, Mickey Howley, Terry Rockette and Herbie Rogers shared time at the podium during the two-hour forum, responding to five questions posed by the Water Valley Business Alliance, the sponsor of the event held in the Mechanics Bank Community Room. The candidates were given the questions prior to the event. They also answered several questions from attendees. 

The special, non-partisan election scheduled Dec. 19 comes after long-time Mayor Larry Hart stepped down four months after he was re-elected to his sixth term as mayor. A runoff election, if necessary, will be held on January 9. Absentee voting has already started and voters can cast their ballot early at city hall during business hours through Dec. 16. City Hall will also be open from 8 a.m. until noon the next two Saturdays, Dec. 9 and Dec. 16, for absentee voting. In Mississippi, registered voters are eligible to vote absentee because of age, health or work demands, or their affiliation with the U.S. Armed Forces. For example, voters who will be outside their county of residence on election day are entitled to vote by absentee ballot.

Response from the candidates in last week’s forum will be included in a two-part series in the Herald, with each candidate’s comments from the first three questions included in this week’s Herald and the remaining questions next week. The entire forum can be viewed on youtube at https://youtu.be/NMjsr-3nab4

Question one – Biggest challenge facing Water Valley:

Gray – “I thought about that question a lot. I thought what would people think – economy, jobs, education? No, I think the biggest challenge we have right now in this city is we don’t have unity,” Gray answered. “Read some of the things that are published in the paper. We are attacking each other and that is not the Water Valley I moved to,” Gray said. 

“I have been in business here about 34 years, I had the experience of coming here just a few months prior to the tornado hitting Water Valley. People in this community worked together like you have never seen, rebuilt this town. So our biggest problem, is folks we have got to be Water Vallians. Not newbies, I don’t care if you have been here one month or 90 years, I will represent you,” Gray said. 

Gray, who has served two terms as alderman-at-large, also explained that too often problems are not communicated to city officials.

“Come talk to us, whether it is any of these men, whether it is me, or any of of the aldermen, come talk to us. Don’t blast in the paper, please, that just drives the wedge deeper,” Gray urged. 

“Let’s get together, no matter who the mayor is, no matter who the aldermen are, let’s quit cutting our town down and let’s build it up and do it together” Gray said.

Howley – “The economy drives everything…the quality of our schools, the level of city services, the value of our property  and the safety of our town. If we don’t have money, we don’t have anything,” Mickey Howley answered about the biggest issue facing the town.

Howley said the downtown economy has grown during the last decade with the addition of  90 new jobs, 27 new businesses, 35 building renovations for a total of $10 million investment from private dollars. Howley also said the success has also helped established businesses, citing the investment by Mechanics Bank at their Main Street location. 

Howley explained that economic development has three components –  supporting and growing existing businesses, encouraging and helping local entrepreneurs and attracting outside businesses and industries. 

“We have done a pretty good job with one and two.. but number three, that big economic, that reach out, that go to Jackson to go deal with economic entities is really the mayor’s job. The mayor’s job has to be the sales person for the City of Water Valley. In that respect, I think I have done a pretty decent job. I have worked with 26 different economic agencies, local, state and national,” Howley said about his work as Main Street Director. 

“The position of mayor is really the position that we need somebody to sell this town to other people and keep it going.

Rockette –  “The main issues are jobs and affordable housing,” Rockette said. He said half of the city’s population earns less that $30,000 annually and most houses in Water Valley are selling for $120,000 or more. 

“A lot of families can’t afford that, especially if they have children,” Rocket said. He stressed more local jobs would help keep people from having to travel to neighboring towns to work and supporting local business would help build revenue in town.

“As Aldermen Gray said, a lot of us have worked together when crisis come.. right now there is a crisis going on. We do need to pull together… and develop this community,” Rockette explained. He also said there were more businesses in Water Valley when he was growing up.

Rogers – “I don’t see a biggest challenge… there are many needs and opportunities for improvement,” Rogers said. He also said the city has a good foundation and he didn’t want people to get the impression  that we are losing the town.

“We are strong and we can stand together and be stronger. This is a great town with good people that understands that they… need a strong leader.”

Rogers also said Water Valley has fared better than many comparable towns in Mississippi.

“Change is the word that we need to better Water Valley. We have made some changes and it has been good. I believe Water Valley is at a historic crossroad and the decision that we make over the next few years will have far reaching consequences,” he added.

Rogers  also said that city leaders are too often influenced by special interests and he will implement a comprehensive plan developed and led by the planning department and the citizens. The focus will be on the people instead of businesses and places.

Question Two – Describe your plan to maintain and upgrade the city’s infrastructure.

Howley – The question is not how do we fix things, but who fixes them, Howley explained, pointing to the city workers. 

“We have a great crew in our city departments. We have strong departments, but they have been neglected, like the infrastructure,” Howley added. He also said in some case, workers have gone a decade without a raise.

Howley said the city workers need a pay increase and more training. Howley also said the city is spending too much time patching problems and needs to be maintaining the infrastructure with a maintenance plan.

He also said there is an immediate safety issue as the police and fire departments are understaffed.

“That is something that needs to be addressed immediately,” Howley added.

Rockette – “In order to maintain the problems that is going on with infrastructure, we have to be able to acknowledge and identify them,” Rockette said.

Rockette’s said that the five major problems in each ward should be identified and addressed equally.

An example, Rockette pointed  to a complaint by a citizen in a recent city board meeting about her sewage problem. 

Rogers – “If you live in Water Valley, you pretty well know the problems that we are having that need to be addressed. Again, good leadership is going to be the answer to getting those addressed. You have to have the funds to do it with, but you got to be able to appropriate the funds on a priority basis,” Rogers explained.

He also said there are areas in the city that do not have city water and city sewage and it is time to fix them. 

He also said grants should be used to fix these problems and, if absolutely necessary, a tax increase.

Gray –  “We all know that we have an aging infrastructure, our town is old,” Gray said. But he cited infrastructure work that has been done in recent years including  over a million dollars in sewage work funded by grants. This year, Gray said $190,000 in local tax money has been budgeted for street work. He also said a $233,000 project to refurbish a water tank is currently underway, mostly funded by grants.

Gray said the electric department also has an agreement with Tallahatchie Valley Electric Power Association to run a backup electric line to the city in exchange for some land in the city provided in the industrial park for TVEPA to build a substation. Gray also said work continues at the airport that is funded by grant money. 

Gray also said that the city employees are hard-workers and all received a raise last year. 

Question Three – Plan to bring more business to Water Valley and increase the city’s revenue and would the candidates support a tax increase if needed:

Rockette – There would be no need for a tax increase if major companies had been allowed to locate in Water Valley. 

“We would have the revenue that we are seeking right now,” Rockette said, citing loss of income from the companies who were turned away. 

Rockette also pointed to a recent industrial tax exemption for a big industry in Water Valley granted by aldermen at the last board meeting.

“If we are able to give tax exemptions, then we need to invest in our city. We need to know exactly the specifics of what is going on, how many other companies are getting tax exemptions, if any at all. We need to support our city with more jobs,” Rockette added.

Rogers – “Use every available entity, our city, our county and all of our officials. Our Main Street Association and Chamber of Commerce. We need to reach out to every available source and bring a lucrative business to our town,” Rogers said.

“But in order to do this, we have to have unity in all the groups. They all have to work together, they have to be on the same page,” Rogers said. 

Rogers also said a plan needs to implemented to bring business to town to increase the revenue base.

“We will offer any support that we are allowed to do to get the business here,” Rogers added. 

He also said if elected he will request a state audit to make sure no problems surface and to see exactly how much money the city has. 

In response to raising taxes, Rogers said this would be an alternative if funds cannot be produced any other way.

Gray – “Continuing what we are doing right now but with a little more emphasis on some things,” Gray said about bringing more businesses to Water Valley. 

“Working with our county economic development foundation and our county supervisors. What benefits one part of the county benefits every part of the county,” Gray continued. “Mr. Bob Tyler does a wonderful job,” he also said about the county’s economic development.

Gray also said regional contacts are important, citing the city’s membership with the North Mississippi Development Association, which is affiliated with Tennessee Valley Authority.

“Both of those entities maintain a search continually of businesses that want to relocate. They notify us as to a business that might have an interest in relocating. Our membership in those on a regional area gives us information that we wouldn’t obtain any other way,” Gray explained.

Gray also said the city works with North Central Planning and Development District and, at the state level, the Mississippi Development Authority.

“I have to tip my hat to Mickey (Howley) and Main Street. Mickey has done a wonderful job with Main Street,” Gray continued. 

Gray also said Allied Group is interested in a possible expansion at their location in Water Valley on Hwy. 32. 

As for tax increase, Gray said he believes that if the city’s economy can grow, the tax base will increase enough to not increase the tax rate.

Howley first explained that the city budget has increased during the last decade, increasing from $2 million annually to $3 million annually. The jump comes from an increase in retail sales  and an increase in property values. Howley said the commercial real estate has increased, on average, from $20 to $70 a square foot. Howley also said the value of historic residential property in town has doubled. 

“We are putting value back in the city and that benefits all of us,” Howley said. 

Howley also said BorgWarner is an “ace in the hole” for Water Valley.

“The CEO, James Verrier, came here the last time Borg expanded and said he believed in Water Valley. And he, as a young engineer and he’s an Englishman, he came here and really got insight in the way America works. He has a soft heart for this particular town,” Howley. said.

“Here’s what we really need to do, we need to reach out, we haven’t been doing that as effectively,” Howley said. 

Howley also cited work by the county’s economic development director, Bob Tyler.

Bob has been doing a terrific job… but has not been supported to the extent that other counties support their economic development,” Howley said, citing neighboring Panola County as an example. 

Howley pointed to economic success in the Golden Triangle in Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties where 6,000 jobs have been added.  Howley said that success comes from three great Main Street towns to show off, Starkville, Columbus and West Point.

“If you are bringing somebody in and your downtown looks like death warmed over it’s a non-starter. You have to have a good solid core in your downtown if you are going to entice people to come and bring big money. And that is what we have done. And we need to reach out and really need to work hard with partners around here,” Howley said.