Starkville aldermen should be in for an easy decision Tuesday when they vote to fill former school board trustee Melissa Luckett’s vacant post.

Sumner Davis is the only person who applied for the spot before Wednesday’s submission deadline.

Luckett, who aldermen appointed to the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees in February 2017, announced her resignation late last month. She said she was moving out of the city and into the county, and thus had to relinquish her city appointed seat.

Davis is the department head and a governmental training specialist with the Center for Government and Community Development in Mississippi State University’s Extension Service.

This is the third time Davis has applied for the position. He applied in 2015, when aldermen chose Anne Stricklin for the post. He applied again last fall, for the same seat, when aldermen chose Debra Prince.

Davis told The Dispatch he applied because he wants to be involved in moving the district ahead.

“I saw it as an opportunity to be able to help the district as they are moving forward on a variety of issues,” he said. “I wanted to participate in that process.”

Davis is also a former aldermen. He represented Ward 1 for two terms before deciding not to seek another in 2009, when current Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver came on board.

He has two children in the school district — a son in eighth grade at Armstrong Middle School and a daughter in fifth grade at Overstreet Elementary School.

Davis said he believes his experience will be an asset to the board.

“I think that what I bring to the school board is a good understanding of ad valorem taxation, public sector budgeting, capital budgeting and planning, and the understanding of the generic state laws which govern both local government and school boards,” Davis said. “And also an understanding of, generically, how boards work at a policy-making level, and the appropriate roles of individuals in that process.”

Davis’ confirmation is currently listed as a consent item, which would allow it to be approved without discussion, along with a variety of other items, if no aldermen object to it.

Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins said he believes Davis will do an “excellent” job for the school district.

“I am of the opinion that the school district will greatly benefit with alderman Davis being a member of the board,” Perkins said. “Alderman Davis has a great passion with regards to wanting to serve on the board of trustees. That is certainly a great attribute, wanting to and having a great passion to serve.”

Carver also said he believes Davis will be a good addition to the board.

“He’s going to bring a wealth of knowledge for local government, and municipal tax laws,” Carver said. “He’s going to bring a wealth of knowledge to that board that’s unique from his job and his job skills.

“If there was going to be only one candidate, he’s the one,” Carver added.

Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.