Interim will be selected from eight candidates Monday
A four-term city councilman, a one-term ex-city councilman, an activist whose name has appeared on local ballots for years, one who has run for office only once plus a handful of political newcomers tried to make a case for why they should be Beat 5 supervisor for the rest of this year.
Marian Allen, Derrick Barber, George Carmichael, Stacy Comegys, David Lewis, Tommy Posey, Walter Thigpen and Marlon Ulmer were interviewed by the Jones County Board of Supervisors on Wednesday. The interim Beat 5 supervisor will be announced at Monday morning’s meeting. A special election in November will determine who serves the last three years of the term.
The alphabet put political rivals Carmichael and Comegys side by side in the seating order, but they made similar points in their sales pitches. Each said he would be prepared to serve starting “on Day One,” and each made the point that he planned to keep the beat’s current crew in place.
That was in response to a question by board President Phil Dickerson, who said that the crew there “has a lot of uncertainty about what will happen with an interim (supervisor)” in place for the next 8-1/2 months.
“How foolish would I look to go down there and fire all of them?” Carmichael said, adding that he served as union president at Georgia Pacific and has a history of fighting for workers’ rights. “I would not dismiss anyone unjustifiably.”
When he ran for the position four years ago, “people put out lies” indicating that he intended to get rid of the employees there, Carmichael said — an obvious accusation directed at the man he’s hoping to replace, Travares Comegys, who resigned amid charges of fraud and embezzlement after an investigation by the state auditor’s office.
The ex-supervisor’s brother was among the candidates hoping to replace him. Stacy Comegys and Carmichael were often at loggerheads in the former’s lone term on the council, especially when he challenged Mayor Johnny Magee for the top job in the city. Carmichael is an ardent supporter of the mayor.
“I’m definitely ready to serve,” Stacy Comegys told the board.
Allen and Posey distinguished themselves by telling Supervisor Larry Dykes that they did not plan to run for the office if they are appointed to the position for the interim period. Carmichael told Supervisor George Walters that he would not remain on the city council if he’s appointed to the board.
All of the candidates were asked questions about overcrowding at the jail, how they felt about the Magnolia Center and how they would work with the City of Ellisville, much of which is also in Beat 5.
All agreed that the Magnolia Center is an asset for the community and they all said they would try to have a good working relationship with Ellisville leaders. There was a little more discussion about the jail and sheriff’s department.
“If there’s a problem, I would consult the sheriff,” Allen said, adding that many of the inmates are scheduled to be transferred to Mississippi Department of Corrections facilities, but that can take a while.
Comegys said, “I believe in being proactive ... address problems before they get here.”
Quicker transfers to state facilities would help, but jail expansion may be something the board and sheriff need to discuss, he said.
“If law enforcement is doing their job, they need the facilities,” Thigpen said, and Ulmer echoed that.
Carmichael said, “What’s going on in the country is trickling down to the states. There’s a fluctuation of people coming into this country to do damage. If enlarging the jail is what we need to do to make sure Jones County is safe, then we should. We want people to be able to go to school and Walmart without fear.”
Supervisor Joey Bradshaw asked the candidates about the county’s recreational facilities.
“We need activities for kids ... and keep them on the right path,” Comegys said.
Carmichael called the Sportsplex “a blessing” and noted that more county kids use its facilities than city kids, and also praised Oak Park’s football field and Boston Park’s baseball field and other parks and places. The problem, he said, is “no volunteers to coach.”
Posey also applauded the quality of the facilities available, but “the problem is getting kids out to the facilities,” the BellSouth retiree said. “They need to get off the games and into sports.”
Each candidate then got time to make a short closing statement.
Allen, who described herself as working in the clergy and social work and a business owner, said she wanted to work to “push Jones County forward.”
Barber, a pastor who challenged the incumbent in the previous election and lost, said the county “needs a transition to move forward.”
Lewis, who is a retired administrator with the Laurel School District, admitted that he doesn’t know everything about the job, “but I could learn.”
That’s the tact that Thigpen and Ulmer took, too.
“I’m up for the challenge,” said Ulmer, who was a truck driver and is now a barber.
Posey said, “I’m a man of few words, but I am a man of substance and results ... I have ideas.”
Carmichael touted his experience on the Laurel City Council, where he is vice president, and noted that 80 percent of Beat 5 is in Laurel. He said his plan is for him and his crew to “provide an honest day’s work for the taxpayers of Jones County.”
Comegys said, “I want to do what’s best for the citizens and employees of Beat 5.”
All thanked the board for the opportunity to interview for the position, and supervisors, in turn, thanked them for participating.
“There’s a lot of diverse knowledge in this room,” Dykes said looking at the candidates on the front row of the meeting room. He was referring to his friend and former colleague who resigned when he expressed regret about the reason the interviews were taking place.
“You’re all worthy candidates, and I don’t feel worthy judging you ... but it’s got to be done,” he said.
Dickerson assured them that the decision “will not be taken lightly” when he told them the appointee would be announced at Monday morning’s meeting.
CAO Danielle Ashley commended the candidates for providing the information she needed to set up the interviews for the quick application process.
“This took a lot of coordination and cooperation to pull off,” she said. “Beat 5 will be in good hands.”
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