WEST POINT — Monthly meetings with constituents, grant opportunities and affordable housing are some of the key initiatives two candidates for the West Point Ward 5 selectman seat aim to implement if elected.
Tuesday night, candidates Belinda A. Rice and Cole Bryan met with constituents of the ward at Bryan Union Hall to discuss their platforms ahead of the special election on Thursday.
A third candidate, Myron Crawford, did not attend the forum, which was hosted by the Clay County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, United Food Commercial Workers Local Union 1529 and the Clay County Branch of the NAACP.
The winner of the race will fill the unexpired term of Jasper “Peicy” Pittman, who passed away May 6.
Both Rice and Bryan said reinstituting monthly meetings between the selectman and Ward 5 constituents will be a top priority if they are elected.
“What I don’t understand is why we can’t do this right here once a month,” Bryan said. “We know what the agenda for the board meeting is going to be. If you’re electing me, if I’m representing you, then why am I not going through the agenda with you and saying, ‘Folks, how do you want me to speak for you?’”
Rice, who worked on each of Pittman’s five election campaigns dating back to 2008, said the monthly meetings started under the former selectman.
“In order for me to take anything to the table, I need to hear from my people because I’m representing you,” she said. “So in order to have my constituents aware of what’s going on, how we’re voting and even the worst complaints, we need to come together (and) have these meetings once again.”
After sharing their platforms, both candidates answered questions from constituents, ranging from how they would handle day-to-day issues to what skills they would bring to the table.
Bryan, who is also the executive director of Dream Center Golden Triangle, said his experience working for nonprofits will be an asset in terms of finding funding for improvements in the ward.
“Over the last five years, I’ve been associated with a couple of nonprofits that operate off of grants and public donations from individuals and organizations,” he said. “And I have made a ton of connections in Washington, D.C. and in Jackson. … There’s so much money available through organizations federally and at the state level. You just have to know where to look and you have to know the right people.”
Rice said she would take a more local approach. Bringing in more local businesses and enlisting the help of local grant writers will be key priorities, she said.
“In order to help West Point grow, I’ll work along with (the board and mayor) to make sure the businesses that we’re bringing here are businesses that are going to come and are going to stay,” she said. “… I would actually look into local grant writers, because we have them right here in our city, and (see) what grants we can look into to try to help offset some expenses from the city’s budget.”
When it comes to improvements they would like to make in Ward 5, Rice and Bryan had different perspectives.
Bryan said he would like to see more maintenance done to ensure current infrastructure can be properly utilized.
“I think for now, where the city is, we need to maintain what we have right now,” he said. “We need to work with what we have and make it prettier and make it more efficient and make it functional.”
Rice said she would like to have more affordable housing options for citizens in the ward.
“I will say to the mayor and the rest of the board, ‘We have got to put a committee together to do something about the issues of our housing in West Point,’” she said. “I’ve talked to individuals and families that are actually happy to move away from the city of West Point just to have somewhere nice to live. … I would try to do some development project to bring in some affordable housing.”
While Crawford could not attend Tuesday’s forum, he submitted a statement to be read in his absence that outlines his platform and history as a West Point native.
“As a leader, I plan to implement my skills in management to build relationships and protect the public interests,” Crawford said in the statement. “My love for my community and work ethic have challenged me to join other local officials in hopes to advance and grow Ward 5.”
Crawford said he plans to promote economic development, foster community engagement and enhance public safety measures if elected.
Ward 5 constituents can cast their vote for the seat Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Civic Center.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
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 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
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 39 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
