Two Democrats will go head-to-head on Tuesday for the right to challenge McComb’s incumbent Republican Mayor Whitney Rawlings in the June 17 general election.
Albert Eubanks, a native of McComb with a public relations background, will take on Gregory White, a former auditor with the Mississippi Department of Revenue. White is affiliated with the local Democrats United for a More Progressive McComb group.
Eubanks, who previously ran for Pike County tax assessor, has two main points on his platform: economic development within the city and programs for children and the elderly. Eubanks said new businesses would spur many improvements across McComb as a whole.
“Everything starts with economic development,” Eubanks said. “You have to bring companies in here that will add to your revenue base. Then, you can have those monies allocated to repaving the streets.”
With McComb’s proximity to ports in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Natchez, as well as the railroad, Eubanks said industries would be fortunate to locate in or near the city.
Eubanks said if elected, he would work with local businesses and community leaders to entice businesses with the support of not only the economic development district, but the community as a whole.
He said economic development and an influx of jobs to the city would help curb the rising crime rate in McComb.
“Give a man a job, and he doesn’t have time to sit out and plan who he’s going to rob next — he’s too busy working,” Eubanks said.
Eubanks said he would work with Police Chief Scott McKenzie to get police officers out of patrol cars and on foot into the community, interacting with citizens and building relationships that could help during investigations.
White also says economic development is important, but he says the key to bringing businesses to McComb is local education.
“Education is the key to economic development. We have to support our local public education system and not tear it down,” White said. “If we’re educating our young people, businesses will want to locate here. That’s the fundamental key. If you don’t have people with certain skill levels, businesses won’t move here.”
That means upgrading technology availability within the local school district, he said.
White said his economic development goal would be to work also with existing businesses to see what can be done for them to expand and grow, including tax abatements, so that more McComb residents can have a steady income and contribute to the community in a positive way.
“A working person is a person who pays taxes and gets involved in the city,” White said.
White said he would like to see police substations built around McComb to keep police officers from having to drive across the city from the central station on Beech Street. By the time officers reach some scenes, a suspect is gone and the crime action has ended.
While White wants to see economic growth, he also sees the need to preserve some of the historic homes and areas around McComb and the properties on them.
“Right now, there’s nothing being done to restore or preserve our Victorian-era houses and neighborhoods, which includes Burglund,” White said. “We’re going to put focus on keeping our history alive — our streets, our houses, our neighborhoods and the people that live in them.”
