Local candidates had their chance to sway voters to their side before the Nov. 8 election arrives.
Candidates in nearly every local race attended the Columbus-Lowndes League of Voters political forum Thursday at the Columbus Municipal Complex, while interested residents listened for the one thing that could sway them to one side or the other.
Justice Court judges
Justice Court District 2 Judge candidates Republican Ron Cooke and independent Ted Richards spoke about their experience and how each could best serve the citizens of Columbus.
Cooke, a Justice Court Judge in District 2 for almost 10 years, touted his previous tenure and his two years as Caledonia Municipal Court Judge as his best attributes.
“I think my experience speaks for itself,” Cooke said. “I work with (District Attorney) Forrest Allgood’s office on a regular basis.”
Cooke previously said he would like to have initial appearances for felony cases handled via closed-circuit television to keep the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office from having to transport prisoners to the court.
Richards, who served in the U.S. Army for 23 years, said he will work hard to become a good judge for the district.
“Judges are not born judges,” Richards said. “People have to work hard to become a judge.”
Richards believes in treating each person who commits a crime “fairly” and thinks his position can deter crime.
Justice Court Judges have civil and criminal jurisdiction of all actions of $3,500 or less. They conduct preliminary hearings in felony cases and have concurrent jurisdiction with circuit courts over criminal matters where punishment cannot exceed a fine and sentence of one year in the county jail. Justice courts also handle preliminary matters committed inside the county but outside the city limits.
Chancery clerk
The chancery clerk is the clerk of the county supervisors and of the chancery court, responsible for maintaining the records of both the board and the court. Chancery courts have jurisdiction over matters involving equity, divorce, alimony, probate, guardianship and sanity.
Chancery clerk candidates Susan Robinson, Republican, and incumbent Lisa Younger Neese, Democrat, gave opinions about upgrading the technology in the chancery clerk office and “open-door” policies for residents within Lowndes County.
Robinson, a legal assistant with a degree in paralegal studies, said she wants to see an electronic filing system put in place to cut down on trips to file records.
“The office needs a fresh approach and a definite change of direction,” Robinson said.
Neese, who has 28 years of experience as a public servant and eight years of experience in the chancery clerk position said her heart is with the job and she loves doing it.
“I’m there at 7:30 a.m.,” she said. “I am a full-time clerk. My door is always open.”
Circuit clerk
The circuit clerk maintains the voter rolls, assists election commissioners in purging the voter rolls and assists election officials with elections. Circuit courts have original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters not vested exclusively in another court.
Incumbent Mahala “Haley” Salazar, independent, has served 19 years in the circuit clerk position, along with 16 years as deputy clerk.
She described the position as “just as intriguing as the day (I) stepped into office.”
Salazar touted the fact that there has not been a contested election during her tenure as circuit clerk. “I feel that my past experience makes me the most qualified candidate,” she said.
Her opponent, Justin Shelton, was unable to attend the forum. He sent a letter stating that he had a prior commitment made one year ago for a religious event.
“No commitment is greater than my commitment to God,” he stated in the letter.
“If I was elected circuit clerk, I would improve the office in a cost-effective manner.”
Shelton, a Republican, is a local businessman and co-owner of The Columbus Packet.
Lowndes County sheriff
The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county and the chief officer of the chancery and circuit courts. He or she is in charge of the courthouse, jail and protection of prisoners.
Candidates Mike Arledge, Republican, and Anthony Nelson, Democrat, touched upon issues involving the recent violent crimes in Columbus, improvements to the sheriff’s office and community policing.
Nelson, current Lowndes County Juvenile Detention Center administrator, is a part-time deputy sheriff. He has more than 23 years of law enforcement experience and worked in the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office patrol division and investigations division.
Nelson said he is a big fan of “community policing” and spoke more about it at the Columbus Exchange Club meeting Thursday.
“Any witnesses are going to come from the community. If I get to be your sheriff, I will be out on the road. I’m not an office person. I’d get out and speak to people,” Nelson said at the Exchange Club meeting.
Nelson also said at the political forum that he wants to establish a rapport with the city by forming a task force for certain incidents. He thinks this could help with the recent violent crimes and three homicides to occur in the city.
Arledge, who has more than 31 years of law enforcement experience, touted his experience as a Mississippi highway patrolman, tenure in the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, and a stint as a Justice Court judge.
He also said he wants to assess the personnel in the LCSO but wants to talk to different organizations and divisions before making a decision.
Arledge said at the Exchange Club meeting earlier in the day that he wants to get better technology in the deputies’ vehicles.
“Uniform officers definitely need computers in their car,” Arledge said after the meeting.
County prosecuting attorney
The county prosecuting attorney represents the state in all felony matters before the county’s justice courts and county courts. Additionally, the county attorney represents the state in criminal cases appealed from county court to circuit court, can present any matter to the grand jury and has full responsibility for all misdemeanor youth court proceedings and all other cases not specified to the district attorney.
Lowndes County prosecuting attorney candidates Allison Kizer, Republican, and Chuck Easley, Democrat, both said they wanted to help the children of Lowndes County through Youth Court while protecting the victims and residents.
Kizer, who has served as Lowndes County’s Guardian Ad Litem for seven years, also worked in Youth Court for seven years.
“I bring a lot to the table. I have been in that court every month for the last 15 years in some capacity.”
Kizer said she has worked with outgoing county attorney Tim Hudson. She also said the best way to help criminals is helping them “while they’re young.”
Easley, who has more than 30 years of legal experience, has worked as a prosecutor, specially appointed public defender and has tried hundreds of trials.
“I’ve never lost a murder case, as a matter of fact,” he said.
Easley focused on juveniles in his speech and said juveniles commit around 60 percent of the crimes in the county. He mentioned implementing a crime-prevention program and drug program.
“We need a plan,” he said. “Juveniles need more direction.”
Lowndes County Board of Supervisors
Supervisors have jurisdiction over roads, ferries, bridges, tax levies, courthouses and jails, county-owned real property, appropriation of funds, contractual powers of municipality as well as other powers expressly authorized by law.
All candidates involved in the supervisor race spoke at once. District 1 Supervisor candidates Willie Petty, Democrat, and Joey Pounders, independent, touched on rotating presidency and how they plan to help the community.
Petty, who was born and raised in Lowndes County, said he is someone residents can talk to, wants to do things that “will help the community” and will “try to find out what issues (residents) are concerned about.”
In regards to having a rotating presidency, which Lowndes County supervisors do not practice, Petty said he is willing “to vote for whatever the board wants.”
“It really doesn’t matter to me who is the president,” he said. “Experienced board members should be able to lead the board.”
Pounders works in the Lowndes County Road Department and said he “sees so many problems with the county.”
Pounders said he wants to create jobs in the county and doesn’t believe that “as a supervisor you should just go to the meetings and shake hands every four years.”
He said the board president should be “someone that’s going to be there and have great ideas.”
District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders, Republican, did not attend the event.
District 3 Supervisor candidate Mike Smith, independent, was the District 3 supervisor from 2004-2008 and said he wants to improve the board harmony and there needs to be “five grown men” as the supervisors.
He also expressed a desire to represent the New Hope community, which is in District 3’s jurisdiction. He also wants to create a “Field of Dreams,” a park for handicapped children.
District 3 Supervisor John Holliman, the Republican candidate and incumbent, did not attend the forum.
District 5 candidates Roger Larsen, independent, and Leroy Brooks, Democrat and incumbent, continued a their heated debate.
Larsen, who came to Columbus 35 years ago, is the founder and former owner of The Columbus Packet. Larsen said he made Columbus his home and “when people have criticized Columbus I’ve always said that if I didn’t like it here, I’d go somewhere else.”
Larsen said the district is divided racially, culturally and economically.
“Leroy Brooks has exploited these divisions for 28 years to win elections,” he said. “This is his well-deserved public identity. I am running against Leroy Brooks and his cynical, polarizing, destructive racial politics.
“Mr. Brooks’ long-time campaign slogan is from Proverbs: ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish.’ He’s been saying that for 28 years, and he said it again at the League of Voters forum here three months ago. It’s time to ask him just what his vision is. Is it Frog Bottom, where he’s never seen, or Elm Lake Golf Course, where he’s a regular?”
Brooks responded that he has a speech prepared, but wanted to respond to Larsen instead.
“Roger has made money talking about people,” Brooks said.
“For 20 years, Roger used The Packet to attack me. I’ve lived with that. Other board members have attacked me … I’ve survived Lowndes County politics.”
Brooks has been the District 3 supervisor for 28 years.
“I’ve given almost half my life to this community,” he said. “I get white support; I get black support … I am a leader.
“If you wake up Nov. 8 and Roger is your supervisor, I think it sends a message that we’ve gone back 50 years …”
Lowndes County superintendent
The superintendent of education is the chief administrative officer of the school district and is the director of all schools in the county outside the municipal separate school districts.
Superintendent candidates Rusty Greene, independent, Cliff Reynolds, Democrat, and Lynn Wright, Republican, spoke about their platform and strategies if elected superintendent.
Greene, who has worked for 20 years in public education, said he knows the communities and schools.
He wants to implement a “teamwork attitude” and engage teachers, who he said are “in the trenches,” about policies and programs.
Greene believes the superintendent position should be appointed.
“We’re cutting ourselves short on a lot of good candidates (outside of Lowndes County),” he said.
Reynolds, a teacher at New Hope High School for 12 years, has a total for 16 years of experience in the Lowndes County School District. Reynolds said the “conditions on the west side of the District have improved drastically,” but more improvements are needed.
“Children don’t have the same access to learning resources,” he said, noting more computers and larger computer labs are needed.
Reynolds said he believes the superintendent position should be elected and “believes in the democratic process.”
Wright, a school administrator of 28 years, which includes experience as a principal and headmaster, said he wants to focus on preparing students to enter the workforce if they do not go to college.
“(We should) give them a reason to be there and a goal when they graduate high school,” he said.
Wright said having the superintendent position be appointed could cause harmful politics.
“I feel if it’s appointed, it could become a political power play depending on who is making the appointment,” he said.
District attorney
The 16th district attorney is a prosecutor who represents the people of Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Noxubee and Clay counties in all criminal matters originating in a trial court except in those counties with county prosecuting attorneys.
Incumbent Forrest Allgood, Democrat, has served as the 16th District attorney since 1989. He said the job is difficult and he wants to bring more lawyers into the district attorney’s office. He said there should be three lawyers to each circuit court judge.
“We obviously don’t have that,” he said, noting there are five lawyers in the office.
“(The biggest issue) is not having the manpower to be everywhere you need to be and do everything you need to do,” he said.
His opponent, Steve Wallace, Republican, did not attend the event.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
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Related Photos
The Rev. Willie Petty Sr., candidate for Lowndes District 1 supervisor, reviews his notes next to his wife, Clara “C.C.” Petty, at the Columbus Municipal Complex Thursday. Photo by: Luisa Porter
Cindy Lawrence and Kabir Karriem ask questions Thursday at the Municipal Complex to Lowndes County sheriff candidates Mike Arledge, left, and Anthony Nelson. Photo by: Luisa Porter
