McComb’s current mayor, a former mayor and a sitting selectman are competing in the city’s Democratic primary for the mayoral nomination on Tuesday.
Incumbent Quordiniah Lockley, former Mayor Zach Patterson and Ward 4 Selectman Shawn Williams are on the ballot Tuesday. A runoff, if needed, will be May 17. The nominee will face independent candidate Michael Cameron, the current Ward 2 selectman, in the June 21 general election. The new term begins July 1.
In making his case for a second term, Lockley touted the accomplishments of his first. He said the city has spent more than $11 million on infrastructure, which includes $3.2 million for street overlay and $6 million for sewer improvements.
Another $900,000 went to in improvements on Railroad Boulevard that include lighting.
Renovations and a historical marker for the Alpha Center, building the Martin Luther King Center gym, giving city employees raises, designating an arts and entertainment district, rebuilding the McComb Railroad Depot Museum, spearheading a cleanup and the “Adopt a Street” initiatives, bringing back the Iron Horse and Summit Street festivals, and holding the city’s first Mardi Gras parade highlight his accomplishments, Lockley said.
“I feel that I need to see some things completed. I need to see the railroad museum completed,” he said. “I need to see and make sure that the Alpha Center project is completed.
“I would like to make sure that the MLK gym is completed. I would love to see the continuous growth in our downtown, which I’ve been pushing for since being mayor, and that growth is starting to happen downtown.
“I would like to see the full scope of our entertainment district come into existence, covering the various entities of arts and entertainment.”
Lockley acknowledged the city is in the process of completing the 2019 financial report and should be caught up with audits through the 2020-21 fiscal year in the next nine to 12 months.
Noting his campaign slogan of “focus on the future,” Williams said he’s more concerned with what’s to come.
“I am the candidate for what people need for today,” he said. “I think what the city needs now is great leadership with a new vision, moving ahead into the future and bringing better to the City of McComb.”
At an April 2 candidate meet-and-greet, Williams said residents want the city to address rising crime.
“That’s one of the things I hear the most and I continue to hear today because we all live in this city and we’re all faced with this issue of crime,” he said.
Williams said he also wants to involve community leaders in improving the quality of life. He commended all candidates for becoming a part of the process.
“I really want to take the time out and commend all the candidates that are running, that they would hear the call and accept the call of stepping up and want to be a part of change in the city and in our community,” he said.
The McComb Democratic Executive Committee organized a mayoral debate for the candidates at the Martin Luther King Center on Thursday evening, but Patterson was the only one who showed up. He did not return a message from the Enterprise-Journal seeking an interview on Friday.
At the debate, Patterson fielded questions about education, racial division and crime. He talked about criticism he believes public officials have taken when a majority-black board is in power.
Patterson said resegregation of the school systems is one of the main reasons the McComb School District received a “D” grade from the Mississippi Department of Education.
“When one portion of our population decided that they would build another school system and compete with the public school system, I believe that’s when you started seeing the school system grade (lower),” he said. “We have to have a whole effort by every citizen.”
Patterson said the way McComb officials appoint school board members should change.
Currently, candidates for four of the five seats submit their applications to the city administrator, who makes a recommendation to the city board.
“That is not to be screened by an employee, the city administrator,” said Patterson of his alternative idea. “Those nominees should be presented to the mayor and the mayor should present those in the proper format to all the selectmen.”
Lockley said McComb Democratic Executive Committee Amanda Upchurch organized Thursday’s debate without informing candidates. He said he had a commitment in Jackson, but asked Upchurch what the debate format would be. Upchurch did not tell him the format, so he kept his commitment in Jackson.
“Always, you try to make sure people are available before you start sending out notices of a debate, especially with their picture on it making it seem they are available and had agreed to it,” Lockley said.
Lockley said his face was on the poster informing people of the event and that could mislead people to think he agreed to participate.
Upchurch disagreed, saying she planned the event to give each candidate a chance to present his platform.
Upchurch said she forgot to call Lockley back about the debate format and said Lockley could have called her.
Williams declined to comment on his reasons for not participating in the debate.
