McComb Main Street Association officials told the city board Tuesday thanks but no thanks on the city’s offer to hire a person to jointly serve as the organization’s director and the city’s social media technician, saying the city doesn’t “share our vision” for the job.
The association had been trying to work with Mayor Whitney Rawlings and selectmen to make the jointly appointed hire.
At Tuesday’s city board work session, Main Street Association board member Edie Varnado read a letter from the board of directors, signed by herself, Meredith Singley, Jamie Stone, Michael Parker, Sam Sanders and Greg Gibson.
Varnado thanked Rawlings for his support and for his consideration to add the position to the city’s payroll, as well as recent downtown revitalization efforts, but she said the directors want to change direction.
“It has become obvious in the past few weeks that the board of selectmen is, at this time, not able to share our vision,” Varnado read. “Therefore, we respectfully rescind our request to partner with the city of McComb in hiring a Main Street coordinator.”
Last week, the board tabled the decision to add the job to the city’s payroll after most of the board said the position should have a broader outreach in downtown than just serving the Main Street Association.
Selectmen proposed the official should work with the Pike County Chamber of Commerce, Keep Pike County Beautiful and other organizations.
Later in the meeting Tuesday, architect Steve Cox, who was at the meeting to discuss bids for McComb Sports Park concession stands and press boxes, asked if he, as an intermittent Main Street board member for two decades, could address selectmen on the strengths and benefits of the organization.
Main Street has filled the coordinator position on and off throughout the years but has struggled to fund the salary, he said. Though the group is well supported by its members, dues alone cannot cover all of the organization’s expenses.
Cox said the business owners working with Main Street have good energy to give in their focus on downtown revitalization, and he hopes the partnership will be considered again.
“It’s my city. It’s your city. It’s for the health of this city,” Cox said. “You can greatly leverage the hard work this board is doing now and boards in the future will do for McComb.
“I would recommend you ponder this over time and give it some good thought.”
After the meeting, selectmen Ted Tullos said he was surprised by Main Street’s decision.
“I really believe it would have worked out,” he said. “If it was going to be any board, it’s this board.”
