Two candidates have qualified for a special election to fill the Ward 5 seat on the Columbus City Council.
Gregory “Gary” Jefferson, 49, and Stephen Jones, 46, are the only candidates so far to qualify for the nonpartisan election. The deadline to quality is 5 p.m. Jan. 27.
In order to qualify, a candidate must live in Ward 5 and must collect signatures from 50 registered Ward 5 voters.
A special election will be held Feb. 16.
Kabir Karriem vacated the Ward 5 seat in late December to begin his term in the Mississippi House of Representatives. He had held the council seat for six years.
Jefferson
Jefferson told The Dispatch he’s running for a chance to bring unity to Columbus.
If elected, he said, he wants to help bridge the gap between black and white, rich and poor, young and old, and bring the city together.
He pointed in particular to the schism between Columbus Police Department and the community.
“I know (Interim CPD Chief Fred Shelton) said (at a community meeting) that he wants to get community policing back,” Jefferson said. “One of the things I want to do is walk around with the police — I want to be out there with the police.
“I want to see councilmen, police and the community together as one to discourage some of the things going on.
“I know it won’t stop everything, but if we can show unity I know somebody’s life will be impacted,” Jefferson continued, “because they can see that we’re trying to work together.”
Jefferson, a supervisor/superintendent at Johnson/Tombigbee Furniture Manufacturing Company, is a lifelong Columbus resident. He said he’s lived in Ward 5 for 25 years.
He said he feels the lack of an incumbent in the Ward 5 election gives him a good chance to win the election and put the seat “back into the hands of the people of Ward 5.”
The position would be Jefferson’s first in public office, if he wins.
“If elected, I will try to be a councilman who’s really involved in the community,” he said. “Not just up at city hall, but as an individual in the ward who sees the needs of the people and is trying to address those needs.”
Jones
Jones, a real estate agent, said he’s running to try to make Columbus a safer place.
He said he hopes to bring attention to a number of issues that may need it — such as the city’s roads — but safety should be the city’s first priority. Jones said that’s especially true in the wake of a rash of shootings since the new year began.
“That means safety for the elderly, safety for the community,” Jones said. “I have to make sure, as a councilman, that everyone is safe, especially with all the shootings we’ve had lately. We have to make sure the police department is fully funded to keep the area safe.”
Jones is a lifelong Columbus resident. He said he has lived in Ward 5 for most of his life.
If elected, he said he hopes to serve as a role model in and out of the council room for the city’s young men. He also said he’d like to find a way to bring more activities for the city’s youth — something he said ties back in to safety.
“The kids between 13 and 18 years old don’t have anything to do but get in trouble,” he said. “Maybe if we can get them some more things to do, we can help keep them out of trouble.”
The seat wouldn’t be the first public position Jones has held. He serves on the Columbus Municipal School District board. The council appointed him to the seat last March.
Jones said he is “99 percent” certain he’d vacate his school board seat if elected.
If elected, he said he hopes to do whatever he can to make Columbus a better place for its citizens.
“I want to move us forward,” Jones said. “Currently we have a lot of things going on in the city. I want to make it a better place for everyone to live.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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