Jackson Free Press

JACKSON — Two reverends, Aaron Banks and Ernest Slaughter, who are the only Jackson City Council candidates who are competing in the May 16 run-off, each tried to convince a large crowd at the Metrocenter Mall Tuesday night that he should serve Ward 6. Banks is pastor of the Glory Empowerment Center, and Slaughter heads the New Canney Creek M.B. Church, both in Jackson. Banks was also a leader of Tony Yarber's 2014 campaign for mayor.

The two men earned a total of 56.07 percent of the vote during the primaries. Banks took 1,275 votes, or 32.79 percent, and Slaughter drew 905, equaling 23.28 percent.

The Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee had planned the forum for all Democratic candidates facing a run-off, including the top two anticipated mayoral candidates. But Chokwe Lumumba took the mayoral primary in a landslide, and other council candidates won outright as well, and move straight to the June 6 general election.

Moderator Nathan Shrader, an assistant professor of political science at Millsaps College, asked the candidates common questions such as how they plan to address the 1-percent sales tax, bring more residents to Jackson and keep them here, advocate for Jackson Public Schools, and prevent crime.

Banks, 39, proposed a business accountability task force to make Jackson more competitive and attract new citizens. "Not only do we advocate for businesses, but one of the things that we have to do is we have to raise the standard," Banks replied. "One of the things ... when it comes to businesses economic development is we have to ensure that at City Hall, or over in the Hood Building across from City Hall, that our processes for businesses to do business is streamline and is friendly."

Jackson needs bigger signs to encourage drivers to stop at businesses on Raymond Road, Highway 18 and Ellis Avenue, Banks added, but currently cannot have noticeable signs due to "an old antique code, or ordinance, that says signs can't be above 15 feet."

Slaughter, 50, said his 22 years of experience as a school-bus driver will help him advocate for JPS. "When those workers came to me and told me that they were not pleased with the way that they were being paid ... they were saying that they didn't have enough money to make it from month to month, and it was a big problem for them," Slaughter said. He helped organize a protest for JPS bus drivers, he said. "I'm the one that spearheaded that to get them with better wages and a better pay scale."

Banks, who previously served as crime-prevention officer at the Hinds County Sheriff's Office and deputy chief administrative officer for the City of Jackson early in Mayor Tony Yarber's term, says the city must stop "reacting to crime" and instead find ways to prevent it.

"We have to educate our constituents and educate the people in south Jackson about how to prevent crime in their neighborhoods," Banks said. "I organized, myself, seven neighborhood watch programs in Ward 6 ...."

In his closing, Slaughter said running for public office is a learning process. "[I'm] not ashamed to say that I don't know it all," he said.

"I believe that cooperation is better than conflict. I believe that unity is better than division. I believe that empowerment is better than resentment. I believe that bridges are better than walls," Slaughter added.

Jacqueline Amos-Norris, the chairwoman of the Hinds County Democratic Party, dismissed the event by encouraging the audience to vote and get friends and family to do the same. She referred to the turnout on primary night, which was similar to turnouts in recent city elections, but still lower than it could be. She praised those who turned out, however.

"That means that there were about 36,000 folks that cares about what happens in the city of Jackson," Amos said.

Email city reporting intern William H. Kelly III at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @William_Reports.