Starkville Planning and Zoning Commissioner Patrick Miller will run as a Democrat for the Starkville Board of Aldermen Ward 5 seat in next year’s municipal election.
Miller, 26, is the first non-incumbent to declare his intent for a ward-level seat and looks to fill outgoing Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard’s post.
Miller works as an instructor with the Mississippi State University Extension Center for Government and Community Development.
“I enjoy public service, care about Starkville and want to share the interests of the citizens of Ward 5,” he said.
Miller’s platform focuses on ensuring Starkville’s recent successes in economic development continue to allow city services to grow. Drafting a sound fiscal budget that develops “a sense of place” for Starkville in terms of infrastructure improvements is at the top of his goal list, he said.
“I want to put in the proper work that makes sure we have a budget within our city that allows us to maintain and grow our services. That’s my first goal: We can do the things we want to as a city, but we have to stay within our means,” he said. “Proper city planning is very important when you consider growth. It’s vital that we keep improving our roads, drainage, sidewalks and we create a sense of place for people in Starkville.”
If elected, Miller is likely to be the youngest person to serve on the incoming Starkville Board of Aldermen. His age, he said, would be an advantage, as it would bring a fresh set of ideas to the table.
“We’ve seen young aldermen before in Starkville. Any time you’re talking about organizations, the ones that are successful are because they have a diverse group of people running them,” Miller said. “It is my hope that people would be for someone like myself in their 20s that’s energetic and wants to get involved politically just for the public service.”
Originally from Ocean Springs, Miller has lived in Starkville for about nine years. He is a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church, and his wife of two years, Caroline, works as a speech pathologist in Eupora.
Miller received a bachelor’s degree in secondary education from MSU in 2012. He also volunteers as a Youth Basketball of America coach for the Starkville Dream Elite.
Other candidates
Six incumbent Starkville aldermen have confirmed to The Dispatch they’ll seek re-election in 2017.
Running again are Ben Carver of Ward 1, Lisa Wynn of Ward 2, David Little of Ward 3, Jason Walker of Ward 4, Roy A. Perkins of Ward 6 and Henry Vaughn of Ward 7.
Maynard, MSU’s Career Center director, will leave his post at the conclusion of his first term. He ran unopposed in 2013.
Mayor Parker Wiseman will also step out of local politics next year, deciding against seeking a third term.
Qualifying for municipal races begins in January.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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