This story will appear in this week's print edition of the Jackson Free Press.
The Jackson City Council refused to confirm Charles Melvin as Parks and Recreation director Monday, saying that he could not answer the most basic questions about his department.
However, Mayor Frank Melton told the council that he had no intention of picking another nominee to replace Melvin, and he lashed out at some council members at a Tuesday press conference.
"I'm spending much of my time in the Farish and Cohea Street area," Melton said. "It seems to me that it would be more appropriate for the City Council members in that ward to show more of an interest in what's happening, but that interest has not been shown in the last 15 years. … Right now, as I analyze the situation, we have three City Council members there—Mr. Stokes, Bluntson and Tillman—who are doing everything they can to improve the lives of everybody in the city, and then we have four other council members who are doing everything they can to distract the progress of this city moving forward," Melton said, dividing his assessment between council members who supported Melvin's appointment versus those who had not.
"I may have to actually manage by veto to get the things done that we have to have done," Melton said.
The mayor also discussed his effort to clean up the Farish Street area. He said that code enforcement officers are "99 percent finished" ticketing dilapidated properties in the neighborhood. "It appears to me that we're going to have to take down over half the neighborhood," he said.
The council rejected Melvin on a 3-3 vote, with Ward 2 Councilman Leslie McLemore not present. Council members against Melvin were Margaret Barrett-Simon, Marshand Crisler and Council President Ben Allen, with Kenneth Stokes, Frank Bluntson and Charles Tillman voting to approve.
The even vote means that Melvin, who has served as interim director for months at an annual salary of almost $84,000 a year, cannot serve as director. However, Melton told the council that he would not choose another director, apparently defying the council's vote.
"I'm not going to speculate on whether or not he's serious, and I'm not about to speculate on our reaction if he is," Allen said. "This isn't the first time. I don't think he intends to bring a fire department head forward, either."
Melvin did poorly in interviews, according to Allen.
"He failed interviews miserably," Allen said. "Frankly, I felt sorry for him. He couldn't answer direct questions about Mynelle Gardens, about the future of the contract with the Mississippi Baseball Group. He couldn't answer direct questions about activities being planned that are concrete for the summer months. It was just pretty dismal."
Melton sat quietly for the brunt of the confirmation, but began griping minutes after "hands went up," Crisler said.
Melvin's nomination was controversial from the beginning, partly because his predecessor, Ramie Ford, was widely hailed as a success. He also had extensive professional experience. In February, Melton responded to word that Ford was being forced out by transferring him to a proposed new department, a transfer Ford said he accepted at the time. On March 19, however, Ford accepted a position as director of state parks under the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Ford's transfer back in February prompted Allen to withdraw his support for the administration, which gave the opposition bloc a majority of four council members. Allen said Melton had assured him back in January that he would not transfer Ford, only to learn the following week that Melton's assurance had been insincere.
"There were some gross, grave misrepresentations made to me … I don't put much faith in what (the mayor) tells me, to be frank," Allen said then.
Barrett-Simon, Allen and Crisler maintain that they did not cast their vote based on their differences with the mayor, however.
"Melvin just isn't qualified," Barrett-Simon said. "He doesn't have any experience in running a million-dollar city department."
Melton had previously defended Melvin's nomination to head the department, saying he was qualified due to his "superior athletic ability." Melvin, who worked with Melton at the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, followed Melton from his brief stint as MBN head into the city's Youth Services Division. He later became the mayor's office coordinator, and spent time as a youth coach.
That wasn't enough for the job, Crisler said. "Melvin, your background and my background almost mirror each other, and I will tell you today that I'm no more ready to take over Parks and Recreation than you are," he said.
Melvin was one of two confirmation votes Monday. The council confirmed attorney Ali ShamsidDeen as a new Municipal Court judge with a 6-0 vote.
Allen advised the mayor against "managing by veto."
"Frank is frustrated because we don't do everything he wants us to," Allen said. "What if everybody in Congress was quiet about Iraq? That's just part of the process. He comes from the private sector and it's sometimes difficult to adjust. There's no conspiracy—just three people who didn't support his pick."
Previous Commentsshow
What's this?More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.