Jackson Free Press

In a pair of forums last week, contenders for the Ward 6 City Council seat struggled to distinguish themselves from the pack with 1-minute answers. Ward 6 has a whopping 12 Democratic candidates competing to replace Marshand Crisler, who is running for mayor. Most strived to be memorable, with varying degrees of success.

Von Anderson's training as an urban planner showed in his measured, careful responses. Anderson is finishing his degree in urban and regional planning at Jackson State University. Pointing to his experience as a board member of the Jackson Association of Neighborhoods and a facilitator for the Community Oriented Policing Services program, Anderson insisted that South Jackson would not improve without community participation.

"We have to have more public forums," Anderson told residents April 23. "We need to have that dialogue about exactly what should be done. So when I go before the council and say ‘I oppose it' or ‘I support it,' I have the masses with me."

Rodney Dixon, an attorney with his own law practice, also spoke in measured tones. He supports a commuter tax for non-residents and wants to pull police off thoroughfares and into the neighborhoods. He promises to lead biweekly ward meetings and organize monthly cleanup days to maintain lines of communication with Ward 6 residents. Business development in South Jackson will require a more active effort on the part of city leaders, he said.

"Part of the problem is that Jackson—we tend to wait for people to come to us," Dixon said. "We have to be more aggressive."

Brian Fry styles himself as the outsider in a field of politicians. The youth and transitional services director for Mississippi Families as Allies, Fry is making his first run for public office. Fry said that his first priority would be a "line-by-line" review of the city's budget to free up more funds for South Jackson. At the April 23 forum, he delivered his opening statement while holding an empty pizza box—because most politicians are like an empty box that looks and sounds good, he said.

"At some point in time, we've got to get rid of these politicians and get someone with some substance," Fry said. As evidence of his own substance, he promised to forgo $20,000 of a city councilman's $25,000 stipend. "Keep the money—I want to work," he said.

Chander Lott, a laboratory administrative director, is a 14-year resident of South Jackson. She said that Ward 6 has a "bright future," and that her experience in administration qualifies her to represent the area. South Jackson will gain political power when its residents organize, she said.

"We need to come together as a South Jackson community and show them where our dollars really count," Lott said. "Let's stop going and spending our money in the Rankin County and Madison County areas. Let's keep our money right here. Let's choose a particular day and time where we go to the Metro(center) Mall and saturate them with our dollars so they can see that our money means something."

Joe Lewis resigned as director of the city's Community Improvement Department in March to run full-time for the City Council seat. He leans heavily on his experience in that position, presenting himself as a realistic candidate with a clear-eyed sense of the council's powers. "Confirmation, facilitation and authorization" are all a councilman can do, he says. He promises to deliver a budget that will serve the interests of Ward 6, especially by providing funds for code enforcement in the area.

"Until we clean up South Jackson, we can't bring in business," he said. "You cannot put cologne on a body that needs to be washed; South Jackson needs a bath."

Attorney Johnnie McDaniels has spent the last three years as a city prosecutor for Jackson, and he promises a serious and experienced approach to crime in Ward 6. Chief among his priorities would be continuing his relationship with Commander Jeremiah Jones of Precinct 1, retaining officers from the training academy with a five-year contract to work in Jackson and shifting patrol beats into residential neighborhoods. He chides the current City Council for not understanding its proper role as a deliberative body and for not taking its committee work seriously. He proposes a rules change that would deprive council members of their vote on an issue if they did not attend the corresponding committee meetings.

"If we're going to conduct the city's business, it should not be based on rushing in at the last minute, having an argument about issues that are important to the citizens, without deliberation," McDaniels told the Jackson Free Press.

Sylvester McDonald, who works with the metering division of the Pearl Public Works Department, said that his first priority as city councilman would be to ensure that Jackson has a full-time police chief. He supports neighborhood patrols but also acknowledges the importance of protecting businesses.

"The first thing we need to do is create a safe way for residents to report crime," McDonald said at the forum. "When the citizens call the police, their name is all over the news. That's why people don't report crimes—because their name is being scandalized."

Antonio Porter, a grievance counselor with the Mississippi Department of Human Services, is running on his character and demeanor. In 2005, he ran for the Ward 4 seat. He would maintain an "open-door policy" for his constituents and said he offers a "willing ear" to hear their complaints. On City Council, Porter would advocate for South Jackson's interests while also forging consensus, he said.

"You need a person that would be a bridge-builder," he told Ward 6 residents April 23. "I am the bridge-builder for Ward 6 because I am not beholden to any person, organization or any certain entity."

Tim Rush is another candidate promising to serve Ward 6 without the flash and occasional evasiveness that marks a seasoned politician. At an April 21 forum, he told attendees that he would be a "common-sense candidate," with answers to his constituents that were "concise, precise and to the point." The dean of students at Hinds County Community College's Utica campus, Rush says that he has forgone billboards for a grassroots campaign aimed at organizing community members.

"With a part-time job and a part-time secretary, we can't turn this ward around by ourselves," Rush said. "We'll be calling on people just like you."

Jason Wells was, at 26, the youngest candidate in attendance April 21. He was also the only one wearing shorts. Wells runs his own private investigation service. He promised technology upgrades and pay raises for the city's fire and police departments, along with greater opportunities for South Jackson's young people.

"I plan to bring in a community center for our youth, which would be a skating rink, a place they can go to and learn different job skills," he told attendees.

Tony Yarber, principal of Marshall Elementary School, has waged a formidable campaign with an emphasis on restoring values like hard work and accountability to South Jackson. Yarber hopes to knit together the ward's community organizations, churches and schools in a "Values Movement" that he says would transform Ward 6 neighborhoods, promoting pride and attracting business. He also hopes to foster the establishment of more neighborhood associations by providing resources and connecting citizens to successful groups.

"When I first set foot on Marshall Elementary, we were facing all kinds of problems," Yarber said April 23. "The first thing that I did was I assembled all of my teachers and staff, and I empowered them and I engaged. They went out, and they were foot soldiers for those students. Right now, we've got a school that's on the move."

One Democratic candidate, Shabaka Harrison, a 21-year-old student at Hinds Community College in Raymond, did not attend either debate. If no candidate earns a majority of the vote in the May 5 primary, the candidates receiving the most votes will face off in a May 19 run-off. The winner of the Democratic primary will face businessman and registered independent Samuel Kazery June 2 in the general election.

Previous Comments

ID

146443

Comment

Thanks for equal coverage. Great story

Author

Powerman

Date

2009-04-29T09:12:09-06:00