‘Give us a chance’
Incoming mayor hopes to add Horn Lake businesses
When Allen Latimer gets down to business, business will be at the top of his list.
Latimer takes over as mayor of Horn Lake July 1, replacing two-term Mayor Nat Baker as the city’s chief executive. Once in place, Latimer said in an interview at his home, he’ll make attracting business opportunities to the city in Southaven’s shadow a top priority.
“I told Mr. Flanagan, ‘Unless you stop me, I’m going to come down there every week just to say hello and let you know we’re on the map,’” the mayor-elect said, referring to Jim Flanagan, president and chief executive of the DeSoto Economic Development Council. “If he (Flanagan) hears of anything, I just want him to give us a shot. If they decide they don’t want to come to Horn Lake, that’s our fault. But at least give us a chance.”
Horn Lake boasts businesses such as J.T. Shannon Lumber Inc. and GreenTech Automotive and strong retail along the busy Goodman Road corridor, but Latimer said he wants to make sure Horn Lake gets its fair share of attention as businesses and industries look increasingly to DeSoto County sites as places to locate.
Latimer, 66, said a strong business community gives a city a more solid tax base and helps relieve the burden on property taxpayers, and that’s why he makes it such a high priority. But the former DeSoto County supervisor — he served on the board from 2003 to 2011 — has other things on his mind as well as he takes the helm of the city of about 26,000.
Latimer said he also wants to deal with chronic flooding problems that have plagued parts of the city and the rest of the county — most recently during heavy rains that caused extensive flooding May 21, the day of runoff elections. Keeping the city clean and attractive is also a priority: “People want to have pride in the community, so code enforcement and cleaning out ditches to alleviate flooding are important.”
“I read a book called ‘ The Tipping Point’,” Latimer said, referring to “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference”, by Malcolm Gladwell. “The book talks about how New York City was able to turn things around by focusing on small things. I think that’s a valuable lesson for any community — focus on crime, having a clean community. If you do, people will respond.”
To help with the process, Latimer said he’ll form committees on which he wants citizen input, to help address problems.
“That would be my biggest message to citizens,” he said: “Get involved. Come to the meetings and join these committees.”
Latimer said in addition to citizen participation, he thinks he’ll be helped by the fact that all the city’s aldermen won re-election and will return to office.
In his own election, Latimer handily defeated Baker and another Republican challenger in the primary election, then easily defeated his Democratic opponent in the municipal general election earlier this month.
“We’ve got an experienced board, and that’ll be a big help,” he said. “It’s also helpful that I’ve had experience at the county level, though I’ve had to retrain myself to look at things from the municipal point of view rather than the county way.”
Latimer said he had no personnel moves in mind at the moment.
“Nothing in mind right now,” Latimer said. “Everybody who has a job has got a job.”