Some of Starkville’s most established politicians defended their record during a candidate forum Saturday against challengers who accused them of being out of touch with their constituents.
Organized by the Starkvegas Juneteenth Committee for Unity and the Starkville Community Leadership Coalition, the candidate forum and voter registration drive drew almost all candidates in the upcoming municipal election to the Needmore Community Center, including nine of the 11 candidates in contested races.
Mayoral candidates took the stage first to open the forum, with incumbent Democratic Mayor Lynn Spruill promising to finish construction projects like the renovations to Highway 182 and Main Street and the redesign of McKee Park, if elected to a third term.
“There are a couple things I’m working on that would have a huge impact,” she said. “They’re not sexy, but our water and sewer infrastructure have absolutely got to be replaced if this community is to grow. The things we have been able to manage I’ve been very proud of.”
Of her opponents, Democrat and former Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough got the largest cheers from the crowd, promising to run a campaign that prioritizes citizens.
“As I sit here I’ve heard a lot about projects,” he said. “But I haven’t heard as much about people. I’m here for the people. The projects will take care of themselves. I’ve talked with many people that say nobody listens. But the citizens should come before the aldermen and the mayor. They should be No. 1.”
Starkville High School teacher and Democrat Brenna Betts said she is running to give Starkville’s youth more opportunities.
“We need to do more investing into our youth in Starkville, giving them more opportunities, places to go and things to do,” she said. “We have a lot of great projects, but there are more opportunities to expand those and integrate them together. Doing something and standing up is better than sitting alone and complaining about things.”
Retired police officer and Republican Roger Bassett said his top priority would be bringing business into Starkville by attracting shopping and entertainment traffic back from other cities.
“I’ve been around, and Starkville has changed a lot over my years,” he said. “I’m a citizen for all the citizens in Starkville. We need more business coming in, investors coming in. Shopping is going from here to Columbus, Tupelo, Tuscaloosa, Jackson. We need to keep it here, so it grows the tax base here.”
Party primaries are April 1 and the general election is June 3.
Contested alderman races
Though no alderman races are as crowded as the one for mayor, two wards did have multiple competing candidates hashing it out during the forum.
In the Ward 6 race, charity worker Tomeka Rhine faces incumbent and Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins in the April primary election. Both are Democrats.
Rhine accused the board of aldermen of forgetting its constituents from poor areas.
“As a leader, you cannot be so disconnected from the people you serve,” she said. “I live in the projects, I’m working poor. That’s not a fact I’m ashamed of. … You can’t represent me if you don’t see me. My candidacy is about no longer being invisible. We will no longer be invisible. I have the utmost respect for Mr. Perkins, but after 30 years, he has lost sight of what really matters.”
Perkins made his own impassioned speech, rising from his chair to pace in front of the table as he addressed members of the crowd.
“We want people in this community who are going to do the job,” he said. “And we don’t mind standing up. I don’t mind standing up. I’m not afraid. I support strong housing. I will continue to support strong housing. Look at J.L. King Park, look at all the infrastructure.”
Meanwhile, retired marketing McDonald’s marketing coordinator Nedra Lowery took Ward 7 incumbent Henry Vaughn to task, accusing him of failing to improve the areas under his care. Both candidates are Democrats and will face each other in the April primary.
“Yes, I’m running against a popular incumbent, but I’m also running against an incumbent who, statistically showing, for the last 16 years has made little to no progress to move Ward 7 forward,” she said. “… Ward 7 has every disenfranchised and underserved project. I haven’t talked to any developers, because I don’t know any developers, because I’m a real person. But I’ve been door to door and talked to the people, and they told me they don’t see their alderman in their neighborhood until it’s time for their vote.”
Vaughn portrayed himself as representative of all citizens and cautioned against the assumption that the board of aldermen has the authority to solve every problem in the city. He said he supports better police oversight, but that relations between the city and private entities aren’t always straightforward.
“I will be an advocate for the whole city of Starkville, people of all races,” he said. “… But the mayor and board telling developers what to charge (in rent)? We don’t have that authority. We’ve talked numerous times about the conditions at Brookville Gardens and they said they’d put cameras and security there, which they still haven’t. Are we supposed to make them put it there? I don’t think that’s our job.”
Laurel Lynn Rowse, a Democrat running for the Ward 3 seat, also laid out her support for citywide fiber optics and STEM jobs.
Incumbent Jeffrey Rupp and James Skinner, the seat’s Republican candidates, were both absent.
“The city of Starkville’s board needs a change in leadership,” she said. “I agree with the infrastructure investments, but there’s a housing crisis here in Starkville. There’s an increasing number of unhoused people here. The city can and should promote policies that create an environment where the housing works for everyone.”
Uncontested incumbents Kim Moreland, Ward 1, and Sandra Sistrunk, Ward 2, spoke with constituents before and after the forum, joining 15-20 audience members who’d come to hear the candidates and ask questions.
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