New mayor sworn in
Musselwhite has busy agenda of pressing issues
The DeSoto Emergency 911 District Commission has approved a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to raise monthly wired-line fees for commercial and residential phone customers to help finance a radio overhaul.
The commission is eyeing additional income of about $300,000 to set aside annually if the move is endorsed by the supervisors, who are expected to consider the request on July 15. The proposed hikes are 20 cents, from 80 cents to $1 — the state-approved cap — for residential users; and 40 cents, from $1.60 to $2, for commercial users.
“This could bring in an extra $1 million by the time we have to do this upgrade,” Bill Dahl, commission chairman, said in reference to the radio overhaul designed to improve dispatch operations. “That means less money we’d have to borrow.”
“And less money we’d have to ask the cities and county for,” said Debby Dunnaway, 911 district director.
At an estimated cost of $8 million to $12 million, the district plans to replace and upgrade in the
Mississippi officials are wasting little time in moving ahead with plans for voter ID now that the U. S. Supreme Court has removed a provision of the Voting Rights Act that required federal approval for such actions.
Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann announced June 26 that he plans to move quickly to implement the controversial law that voters have already approved.
“I intend to make voter ID regulations final in the next few weeks,” Hosemann, the state’s top elections official, said in a release, “and I solicit any final comment from any Mississippi voter on those regulations.”
Hosemann also said he has written the Justice Department requesting any comment it has. Justice officials had requested that two changes be made to regulations proposed by Hosemann’s office. Federal officials wanted the state to allow use of a Mississippi voter registration card to get a free next few years the 911 and radio infrastructure computer-driver system. The project includes consoles that receive emergency calls, and the radio units used by dispatchers to alert and send firefighters, police and deputies.
Commissioner Chris Shelton, information technology chief for Southaven, pointed out at a June 26 meeting that for years DeSoto County has been one of only three counties in the state to have a residential rate under the $1 limit set by the state.
Meanwhile, representing a $1.2 million investment, new recorders are in place and installation and training continue on a new PSAP (public safety answering point) phone system, Shelton said in a committee report.
In a move that will save $23,222 over the next year, Jim Marineau, president of tower operations contractor Integrated Communications, cited two contract deletions. With three new UPS (uninterruptible power supply) battery backup units under warranty, no maintenance costs will be generated. Also, the removal of some mobile data system infrastructure will cut upkeep expense, he told the commissioners. official voter ID card and to eliminate a proposed requirement that a voter surrender his Mississippi voter ID if the address is no longer current. Hosemann said those changes to the proposed regulations had been made already, before last Tuesday’s court ruling.
The high court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, requiring clearance from the Justice Department for changes i n voting requirements that could affect the participation of minorities in the electoral process.
Most of the states covered by the provision, including Mississippi, are in the South.
A majority of justices said enough progress has been made in the 48 years since the Voting Rights Act was passed that the provision is no longer necessary. While many Mississippi and DeSoto County Republicans agreed with the decision, Democrats said the decision was the wrong move and showed the court was “out of touch” with the situation in many areas. Drew Musselwhite checks out his father’s desk at City Hall following a brief swearing-in ceremony for Darren Musselwhite as Southaven’s new mayor. Joining the office inspection are Ryan (left), Reid, and Musselwhite’s wife, Laurie. Musselwhite was not slated to take office until July 1, but outgoing Mayor Greg Davis stepped down June 28.
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Darren Musselwhite , on his 46th birthday, was sworn in last Friday as Southaven’s f irst new mayor in 16 years.
And he says he’s now ready to get down to work on a to-do list of pressing issues: Sealing the deal on an $80 million outlet mall at Interstate 55 and Church Road, reviewing plans for a proposed $6 million senior citizen building and dealing with drainage issues that plague the city.
Musselwhite, an insurance agency owner and former minor league baseball player who has never held public office, says he is ready for the challenge of his new job.
“We have a lot of positive things for the city that are on the table, and some of the things are time-sensitive and we must move quickly to address them, like the outlet mall,” he said. “That’s the main thing the aldermen and I will do is set priorities of what we want to achieve and accomplish as we began a new day in the city.”
Since collecting 77 percent of the vote in the June 4 general election to defeat longtime incumbent Greg Davis and Democrat Coria Williams in a three-way race, Musselwhite said his days have been “power packed.”
Last week, he and the five new aldermen traveled to Biloxi to attend the Mississippi Municipal League’s orientation class for newly elected city officials. He was back June 28 for the swearing-in Following the swearing-in ceremony, executive assistant Kristi Faulkner (second from right) shows Laurie Musselwhite and sons Reid (left), Drew and Ryan — the view from the mayor’s office. ceremony. Last Monday, he repeated the event because that’s when Davis’ term officially ended. Davis stepped down from his job three days early.
“I realized what I signed up for when I ran, and I am excited,” Musselwhite said.
He said he has no big changes planned for City Hall. He has met with city department heads to be brought up to speed on current and future projects.
“Like I told everyone throughout the campaign, obviously it is a new day in Southaven, and we are going to review a lot of things,” he said. “But keep in mind that most things in Southaven are not broken. There are a lot of wonderful people that work for the city of Southaven.”
Former Southaven alderman Ronnie Hale, who lost his seat in the recent city elections, agreed, saying that he has faith in the city’s new leader.
“All the turmoil that has surrounded us for two years is gone, and now it is time to move forward,” Hale said at Musselwhite’s swearing-in ceremony last Friday at City Hall.
The turmoil that Hale referred to is allegations of city funds misspent by Davis, who was indicted last year on embezzlement and false pretense charges. His trial is set for August.
Davis was also ordered by Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering to repay the city more than $170,000 spent on personal trips, clothes, dinners and $67 at a gay sex store in Toronto. His civil trial on the matter has been continued until October.
Musselwhite said the allegations shed a negative light on the city that he has called home since he was six months old.
“As time goes by, we will put this behind us and there will be less attention on the negative and more focus on the positive things in Southaven,” he said.
He said regardless of what people have heard, there has been no friction between him and Davis during the transition.
“Greg Davis has been very professional in his dealings with me and preparing me and the city for change,” Musselwhite said.
As Musselwhite was sworn in, his wife, Laurie, their three sons and his mother looked on.
Later, Musselwhite took his family on a tour of his freshly painted, spacious fourth-floor office.
“I never dreamed that he would be mayor one day. He was always a thinker, but I did not see politics in his future,” said his mother, Diane Musselwhite. “He has always been a hard worker, and we are very proud of him.”