STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University Extension Service will hold a series of workshops for people considering running for public office, meant to give a better idea of city government to those who may someday help run it.
The first “Ready to Lead” virtual workshop will run on Nov. 25, followed by another on Dec. 19 and the last on Jan. 6. Over the course of around an hour, these seminars will try to prepare future candidates for the expectations of public office and complexities of local government in advance of the 2025 city election cycle in Mississippi.
“It’s so vital that we have community leaders that step up,” said Jason Camp, a local government specialist with Extension who is running the seminars. “A lot of people put all their attention on the national elections, and those are important, but if they really want their vote to have an impact on the day-to-day decisions that affect them when they step out the door, that all starts with local elected officials.”
The workshops come courtesy of Extension’s Center for Government and Community Development. Though CGCD already trains elected officials and has run occasional information programs for potential candidates, this is the first time it’s attempted a support program of this level for people not even campaigning yet.
“Before someone jumps out there and makes the decision to run for office, we want to let them be fully informed about serving as a local government official,” Camp said. “So many times, people may run on just having one encounter with the city and don’t completely understand what they’re getting into. We want to give them as much information as we can on the front end.”
Camp, who mounted his own run, albeit unsuccessful, for Ward 1 Starkville alderman in 2017, said the course will focus on four key topics: understanding municipal government, the roles and responsibilities of elected officials, the chief functions of government and the basic legal requirements to run.
The program won’t tell candidates anything about how to run their campaigns, focusing instead on helping decide whether they want to run and what their life will look like if they win.
All the information in the workshop, and the possibility of further one-on-one advice, will be available to participants afterward. While it’s primarily aimed at new candidates, Camp said even current officials might find value in the course.
“We want to give people a high-level overview of the laws of the state so they’re prepared if they are elected,” he said. “Mississippi law is very complex, and I’ve never met someone who says they know it all. (The workshop) will also be a good time for people who have maybe been in office and are weighing their decision of whether they want to continue to put themself out there to lead the community.”
Free workshop signups can be found online at CGCD’s website under resources for local government. Citizens have until Jan. 31 to qualify to run for municipal office in 2025. While a handful of municipalities still elect their police chief, for most towns and cities, mayor and alderman are the only elected positions.
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