Mayor Keith Gaskin has vetoed a Columbus City Council decision to annex two areas east of the city.
Gaskin issued the veto Friday. The council has called a special meeting for Tuesday morning to discuss it.
On March 4, the council approved an annexation ordinance on a 4-2 vote that would absorb two areas. The first borders Ward 2 and Ward 3, and is bounded by Highway 82 in the north, Armstrong Road to the east, Lehmberg Road to the west and Deerfield Drive to the south.
The second is adjacent to Ward 1 and Ward 2. It is bounded by South Lehmberg Road on the east, the area adjacent to Scott Drive to the south, Hargrove Road to the west and Vernon Branch Creek to the north.
Ward 1 Councilwoman Ethel Stewart, Vice Mayor and Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens, Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones all supported the annexation measure, while Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene and Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco voted no.
In his veto, Gaskin said he “deemed it his duty” to veto the annexation proposal.
“The annexation of these areas is not a wise investment for the city at this time,” Gaskin wrote. “We are currently recovering from past financial shortfalls which have prohibited us from adequately taking care of the current population of the city. We have also not added promised resources to the areas that were annexed in 2014.”
In 2014 the city annexed an area that included most of the east side of Lehmberg Road, the Riverwalk, part of Woodland Heights Drive and the area around Columbus Middle School. The city has not extended water and sewer services to all those areas.
Gaskin also cited economic demographic information prepared by the Golden Triangle Development LINK showing that annexation would drive down median income, rates of home ownership and per capita income while increasing the poverty rate.
“Data shows that the economic demographics of these areas would negatively impact the city in almost all areas and could negatively impact our efforts to attract more retail and business to the area,” Gaskin wrote.
Jones told The Dispatch Monday afternoon he isn’t surprised by the veto.
“I can only speak for myself, but (the council) will look at it and make the decision that we feel is right for the city,” Jones said. “I kind of figured he would (veto it). I heard he and (DiCicco) had a meeting over the weekend with people against it.”
Mickens said he didn’t understand what the mayor thought he was doing.
“It’s not the first time he’s vetoed something the council has done,” Mickens said. “That’s his right as mayor, but I don’t see where it’s going to change anything. The votes are still there to override it.”
Stewart and Beard did not return Dispatch phone calls seeking comment.
Four votes are needed to override a mayoral veto.
Brooks, Jones square off on Facebook
On Sunday District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks called out the city council on Facebook over the annexation effort.
Brooks described the annexation vote as “one of the worst decisions made in this community,” and accused the four Black council members of “trying to increase the Black population to maintain their positions.”
Monday morning Brooks told The Dispatch the annexation vote flew in the face of the LINK’s economic data and would make it harder to attract either business or retail interest in the future.
“When you look at the information (from the LINK) all of the economic indicators are going down,” Brooks said. “… If you’re trying to recruit, (retailers) look at those numbers and say, ‘Wow, the city is even poorer than previously.’ Who would deliberately make their city poorer and increase poverty?”
Brooks said he felt the majority on the council were trying to feather their nests for next year’s city election cycle.
“That makes more sense than anything,” Brooks said.
In his post, Brooks also urged people to “stop and look at other municipalities in Mississippi that are overwhelmingly Black,” such as Jackson, Clarksdale and Greenwood.
“People don’t like to talk about it, but when you look at major Black municipalities in the state, the more the African American numbers increase the more people move out,” Brooks told The Dispatch. “… What you do if you want your community to be viable is you take what you have and then you enhance that. You enhance housing, you reduce crime and you enhance education.”
Jones also weighed in on Facebook, responding to Brooks with his own post. He said the council had spent much time and effort on annexation, and “while some see it as a negative, we see opportunity.”
Jones accused Brooks of being part of an “old guard” who “have worked in a particular sector/government for a very long time and are unwilling to accept new ideas or practices.” He wrote the city council would not “kiss the ring” of that old guard.
When contacted by The Dispatch, Jones refuted Brooks’ claim that the LINK’s data would be a stumbling block when it came to recruitment.
“Data can be provided any way you want to look at it,” Jones said. “Anybody that’s for something saying this, and anybody who’s against something will have data saying that. … (Retailers) look at both the county and the city when they look at us. They don’t just look at one thing. We know that, and they know that.”
Jones dismissed Brooks’ allegations that the residents’ race played a role in the council’s decision.
“I don’t care if it was all Caucasian voters or Caucasian people,” Jones said. “At the end of the day, if we can help people who live out there it’s our job to help them.”
The decision was driven by the desire to help people left behind by the county, and who already get city services anyway, Jones said.
“They’re already enjoying city services,” Jones said. “If they have a fire, who responds? (Columbus Fire and Rescue.) If they have a wreck, our police department responds. In reality, they already benefit from the city.”
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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