STARKVILLE — Starkville’s three Democratic mayoral candidates took the stage again Tuesday night for one of their last opportunities to make their cases ahead of the April 1 primary election.
Incumbent Mayor Lynn Spruill, Former Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough and Starkville High School Teacher Brenna Betts all spoke at a candidate forum hosted by the Starkville Daily News at the Greensboro Center.
Spruill said that she has large projects still underway that she would like to see through, but also argued that the city has been doing well under her leadership and would continue doing well if she’s reelected.
“The city of Starkville is home to me, and I’m extremely interested in her progress,” she said. “We’ve done some remarkable things over the last 10 years. We haven’t rested.”
Spruill had multiple chances to display her knowledge of the city’s operations, noting during a question about paving in annexed areas that the work has already been completed and reminding voters that she currently serves double duty as mayor and chief administrative officer.
Spruill also emphasized the importance of the city’s ongoing wastewater management improvements, slated to finish in 2027. While people coming to the Golden Triangle for work want to live in Starkville, she said, the city’s housing base can’t keep growing until its new wastewater facilities are complete.
But Yarbrough challenged the city’s status quo, saying he hopes to present new kinds of solutions to problems and engage with citizens differently.
“I’m a visionary, a forward thinker and an innovator,” Yarbrough said. “Our city deserves a leader who listens to all citizens. A leader who has the foresight to come up with solutions to complex issues.”
Yarbrough said he would sit down with small businesses to attract them to Starkville, contrasting Spruill’s position that large chains like Target will come when responsible governance grows the city’s population with his own stance that small enterprises can fill similar roles faster and better.
Yarbrough also differentiated himself from the other candidates when asked about public safety, emphasizing the importance of having officers on patrol to prevent crimes in addition to the cameras the city has invested in to help solve crimes.
When it comes to crime, Betts leveraged her background as a school teacher to talk about the problem young residents face finding things to do and places to be outside of school and home.
“In the news recently we’ve had several incidents, some of which were involving our high school students or students from neighborhood areas involved in unfortunate circumstances,” Betts said. “A big focus on crime for me recently has been, ‘What can we do to make sure our kids are staying out of trouble?’ … A lot of that comes from kids with nowhere to go, nothing to do and no good support system.”
Betts also spoke about the importance of well-defined neighborhoods with different characters and unique businesses, emphasizing the importance of walkability when increasing Starkville’s urban density.
Betts also gave a specific answer when asked where she’d find cuts if the budget needed balancing, mentioning unnecessary out of state contracts as first on the chopping block.
The primary election will take place Tuesday, with the winner facing Republican Roger Basset in the general election June 3.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed the day of the forum.
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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 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
