Trusty, Rogers Are In Runoff

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Taylor Trusty led the ticket for alderman-at-large last Tuesday with 29 percent of the vote and will face Herbert Rogers in the runoff election scheduled March 20. Rogers received 19 percent of the votes in the six-way contest.

The voter turnout was down slightly as 606 voters participated in the special election. Trusty received 175 votes, Rogers got 118, Terry Rockette earned 96, G.R. Orndorff received 83, Lorraine Turner polled 72 and Hubert House earned 62.

The March 20 runoff will be the final election in a lengthy cycle that got started last summer after three new aldermen – Kagan Coughlin, Cinnamon Foster and Nicole Folson – upset incumbents to earn seats at the table.  Alderman-at-Large Donald Gray and Ward 2 Alderman Fred White both retained their seats, as did former Mayor Larry Hart.

The new board was seated on July 3 and three months into the new term Hart announced he would step down as mayor, ending his lengthy service to the city that included over 20 years as mayor and four years as alderman. 

Gray, who was elected to his third term as alderman-at-large last year, was the winner in a four-way race to replace Hart in a special election in December and subsequent runoff in January. Gray was seated as mayor on Jan. 18, and alderman immediately set the special election  date to fill the at-large position.

Absentee voting has already started and voters can cast their ballot early at city hall during business hours. City Hall will also be open on Saturday, March 10, and Saturday, March 17, from 8 a.m. until noon for absentee voting. The deadline to vote absentee is March 17.

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 absentee.