Annexation, zoning and alcohol sales were the three topics of discussion among those running for Caledonia alderman positions at a candidate forum Thursday, while mayoral candidates promised to be accessible and focused on their long-term goals for the town.
Both mayoral candidates and six of the eight candidates for alderman introduced themselves and answered questions submitted by citizens at the event, held at the Caledonia Community Center on South Street. Amanda Boltwood and Joey Pounders did not attend.
Candidates in Caledonia do not run by political party designation and all five members of the board of aldermen are at-large. That means the alderman seats go to the top five vote-getters in the general election.
Annexation has been a hot topic in Caledonia for many years, and all eight candidates present said they would support annexing areas outside the town limits if a vote arose, as long as the process was carried out properly.
Mayoral candidate Betty Darnell said because the town is “very small,” annexation is a serious interest, but if the board approves it, the town must provide its new citizens with adequate services.
“A town must have revenue to operate,” Darnell said. “If you include people in an annexation, you need to provide services. You don’t just need to get their tax money.”
Alderman candidate William Darnell said he supports annexation, especially if it gives the Caledonia Marshal Department full control over Martin Road.
“I don’t know if you know about it or not, but we have a little drug problem in this town,” William Darnell said. “The majority of it’s going down Martin Road. … Y’all aren’t out like I am. Y’all don’t see what I do.”
The candidates also discussed the possibility of establishing zoning laws in the town. Currently, Caledonia is subject only to Lowndes County’s building codes and has no zoning ordinances of its own.
Every candidate said they would support zoning. Candidate Jason Chrest said he believes zoning for commercial businesses would benefit Caledonia because it could attract more business and generate more tax revenue.
“I do agree there would be a benefit with having more brick-and-mortar businesses in town,” Chrest said. “There’s also a benefit to having the less expensive buildings in town because these are startup businesses.”
Candidate Robert Linn Jacobs agreed, saying new businesses would make Caledonia more appealing.
“You have to crawl before you run,” Jacobs said. “… I would like to see some things in town zoned.”
Caledonia’s alcohol sales law also came up during the forum. Current ordinance states that beer and alcohol cannot be sold within 1,500 feet of a church or school, while state laws only require 400 feet, incumbent alderman Matt Furnari told The Dispatch after the meeting. All businesses that have the ability to sell alcohol, such as Mi Toro, fall within these limits except for the Caledonia Package Store at 1130 Main St. Some citizens asked if the candidates had any intention of decreasing this limitation at any time in the future.
All candidates said they wanted to hear more input from citizens about their view on alcohol sales before voting on the issue. Furnari said during the forum that beer sales would bring in more revenue to the town because people would buy beer in Caledonia instead of surrounding areas.
“There are actually studies out there that show that dry counties have more accidents than wet (ones) because they are a longer distance of travel for people going to get it,” Furnari said.
Incumbent Tammy McCool, who owns Caledonia Package Store, said no matter what the town decides to do, it still has to abide by Mississippi’s state laws regarding alcohol sales.
“I would put it back to the citizens, and I would love to have your input,” McCool said. “Do what makes you happy because this is your town too.”
Mayor Mitch Wiggins, who decided to run for alderman this term due to time constraints with his full-time job, said his term as mayor has seen Caledonia’s finances vastly improve.
“I’m proud of this board and myself,” Wiggins said. “When I started, there was $6,300 in the town’s checking account. Now, we have $220,000.”
Citizen accessibility to mayor
Betty Darnell, a retired credit manager who has never held an elected position, said she chose to run because she wanted to make a difference for Caledonia. If elected, she said, she wants to be a mayor who is available and willing to talk to residents.
“I believe it’s important to be in the office, on a set schedule, where people know where you are if they need something, to make yourself available,” she said.
Challenging Betty Darnell is Alderman Quinn Parham, who had a different approach to accessibility. If he serves as the elected leader of the town, he said, he will be in and out of Caledonia every day, but people can contact him over the phone.
“My office is next door,” Parham said. “There’s not enough work for the mayor that comes through the town hall to have the mayor sit there four hours a day. Maybe three half-days a month.”
When asked about long-term plans for Caledonia, Betty Darnell said she wants to focus on keeping the town “family friendly.” She wants the board of aldermen to set a plan for the future but understand that plans can be modified when necessary.
Parham had a more concrete idea he wanted to see executed — a municipal complex just for the town. While there is currently a town hall, that building is partially owned by Lowndes County, and Parham wants a complex only for Caledonia.
“I would like to see us modernized and bigger, so we can see our water department people, our police chief over there, town clerk, mayor’s office,” Parham said. “I think it could be an asset to the town.”
The general election for both mayor and aldermen will be June 8.
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