Two candidates vying for the McComb Ward 5 selectman position expressed different visions for the city for the next four years.
Ronnie Brock, a two-term incumbent, and challenger Bruce Mullins will face off in the May 3 Democratic primary. Since there are no other candidates, the winner is expected to take office July 1.
Brock touted his accomplishments over the past eight years, while Mullins focused on bringing change.
Brock said the construction of a new east McComb fire station and securing $1.75 million that led to a new water well are among the city’s marks of progress.
Brock said he supported renovations to the McComb Railroad Depot before and after its fire in 2021, along with building a new Martin Luther King Center gym and fixing up Baertown’s Alpha Center. He said he organized the first meeting to re-establish the Summit Street Unity Festival.
Raises in the police department, including dispatchers going from a starting pay of $9 to $15 an hour, and in the fire department, with firefighters’ starting pay rising from $9.02 to $10.77 an hour, are other examples of progress, he said.
“I led that charge to get cell phones and tablets for the city of McComb,” Brock said.
Brock said that has made it easier to communicate with citizens and they can call his city phone at 601-248-6150 or email him at rbrock@mccomb-ms.gov.
“The citizens, they can reach me day or night,” he said.
Looking back on the past four years, Brock acknowledged some disagreed with him.
Human Resources Director Donjurea Davis and Deputy City Clerk Rosezea Scott have both filed notices of claims against the city, alleging Brock and Selectman Devante Johnson created a hostile work environment.
Brock said he is doing what it takes to make sure the city properly functions.
“In the past two or three months, Congress fussed a lot,” he said. “They fussed to the point where the Black membership walked out of Congress. If it’s something worth fighting for, you’re going to fight for it.”
Brock said he would focus on reduction of crime the next four years.
“I want to do that by a couple of things,” he said. “Number one, we have got to get surveillance cameras in the high crime areas in the city. We don’t need to name them where, but we need to make sure we’ve got cameras throughout the city.”
Brock said he would propose a buyback program for guns, without specifying how it would be funded.
“We have the money to do it, we need to do it,” he said. “No questions asked, bring the gun, turn it in, pay your fee. Let’s get some of these guns off the street.”
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Mullins unsuccessfully ran for the Ward 2 selectman position in 2018, but redistricting put his home in Ward 5 for the 2022 election. His candidacy in the Ward 5 race was almost in jeopardy when the Democratic Executive Committee refused to qualify him, saying he hadn’t met two-year residency qualifications because his home of 15 years was moved into a new district. A judge disagreed and ordered Mullins placed on the ballot.
The 36-year Amtrak employee retired as district manager of station operations and was responsible for physical plant operations in five states, staffing, negotiating leases, working with private and governmental agencies and training, among other duties.
“I always want to make sure everything is completed to fruition,” he said. “I was born and raised in McComb, Mississippi. Looking back on things when you’re a kid, you don’t see all of the problems and stuff because those were the good old days when you were a kid. But when you grow up, you see everything that’s wrong, the things your parents were most likely dealing with.”
Mullins said there have been missed economic opportunities and he does not believe corporate America is paying attention to the area.
“I’m the kind of person that will camp out on the CEO’s front lawn until I could get a meeting,” he said.
Mullins estimated there is a 48.8% poverty rate in McComb and a lot of people do not have a clear path to home ownership. He said he would propose putting some vacant homes into a lottery for the low-income population. He said the person who gets the home would have a certain amount of time to rehab the property.
Mullins also said he is in favor of purchasing cameras that would help catch criminal activity and littering throughout the community.
Mullins said the finances have not been properly audited since 2018 and he would like to see that changed, and possibly lowering the city’s minimum $92.73 residential water bill.
By lowering the city’s tax millage, Mullins said the cost of license plates would decrease.
“The city does not decide the car tag overall. We have a portion of that, that the city decides” through property taxes, he said.
