One by one they stepped up to the microphone to speak about their concerns of crime and cleanliness in the town they love and call home.
More than 200 residents gathered at the City Civic Auditorium to tell the Board of Mayor and Alderman their views about how crime had affected their lives and how their neighborhoods had been blighted by junk cars, burned-out houses and overgrown yards.
The meeting was initially billed as an attempt to gather input on forming new ordinances and how to enforce old ones. The shooting of 14 people in Clarksdale over the weekend and the shooting death of a teen earlier in the week prompted city leaders to add concerns about crime to the issues to be discussed.
The meeting was also a formal board meeting with Mayor Chuck Espy leading the show and Ward 1 Commissioner Bo Plunk and Ward 3 Commissioner Willie Turner in attendance. Ward 2 Commissioner Ken Murphey and Ward 4 Commissioner Ed Seals did not attend.
“Events of the past 48-hours prompted us to add crime to this hearing,” said Espy. “Blight will still be discussed.”
Espy said crime is actually down in Clarksdale and he pointed to crimes over the weekend in Vicksburg, Yazoo City and Indianola saying crime was everywhere.
Mayor and Board of Commissioner meetings at City Hall have repeatedly seen people over the past two years show up and voice their concerns about abandoned houses, junk cars in yards and property in their neighborhoods that are both unsafe and unhealthy.
Plunk said the city does have a problem with absentee property owners who don’t keep downtown building or residential property maintained.
“I understand the Mayor not wanting to put more fines on people who can’t pay them,” said Plunk. “But I say the people who pay the taxes need to have a say, too.”
Turner said he felt the issues of crime and cleaning up Clarksdale were linked.
“As a law enforcement officer I know that if neighborhoods are kept clean and nice you are less likely to have crime,” said Turner. “Whatever we come up out of this meeting with, we are going to stick to it.”
Clarksdale Police Chief Robbie Linley gave a brief update on the shootings over the weekend and the shooting death of a 15-year-old on Monday.
And then they opened the microphone.
Pete Johnson said population decline was eroding the tax base of Clarksdale and asked Espy to address the issue.
Espy pointed to his plans to bring a massive $50 million conference center, hotel, retail stores, waterpark, baseball and softball fields and a housing development to town that was shutdown by a powerful few in Clarksdale.
Espy did not give details other than to say Email held by Chamber Executive Jon Levingston and County Surveyor Terry Smith proved there was a concerted effort to kill the project.
Espy was shouted down several times for not answering the question.
U.S. Census data shows Clarksdale’s population has fallen from 20,645 people in 2000 to 14,900 in 2020. That exodus has accelerated as the number has gone from 14,401 in 2021 to 13,759 in 2023.
Rachel Tackett said there is a garage in her neighborhood that is open at night, loud and cars are parked out front. She also voiced a complaint about the street-sweeper not able to get down her street because of broken curbs and gutters.
Gussie Farris said she thought the Mayor and Commissioners were “doing the best they can,” these problems were bigger than them and citizens needed to get involved. She said teaching kids not to litter and not to get involved with gangs or drugs should also be addressed.
Alta Towers said junk cars need to be hauled to a central location and owners told they have to pay a fine to get them back.
Patricia Gillett said blight was a serious concern in her neighborhood. She said the city should enforce their existing ordinances and fine people if they don’t follow them.
Cassandra Wilson said Clarksdale knows where the blighted communities are and she urged people to sponsor community clean-up days. She also said city employees are slow in getting jobs done. Wilson also said she has attended city board meeting where she hears the same promises from city leaders over and over.
Hartley Kittle said he has lived in Clarksdale for 50 years and drove by the first house he once lived in on School Street recently and almost cried. A member of the local Economic Development Authority Kittle said Espy has done everything they have asked. He asked Espy to get the junk cars out of Clarksdale yards.
Fredrick McDale said he has repeatedly been before the board about commercial property on East Tallahatchie Street that is both dangerous and unhealthy.
Eric, who did not give his last name, said he moved back to Clarksdale and said saving Clarksdale will require saving children. He added that bringing youth together will be the start of Clarksdale coming together.
Deborah Luster said, as a realtor, it is difficult to get people to invest in a home when there are properties that take away from property values on a street. Luster also felt property taxes were too high and that stopped people from buying a home in Clarksdale.
Dan Sandlin said the key to improving Clarksdale was unity and caring for your neighbor. He also said before you eliminate blight, you need to eliminate crime.
Clara Sims said Clarksdale needed to focus on safety, accountability and cleanliness in that order. She also said car tags need to be cheaper.
Other speakers addressed everything from entrances into town, cleaning up property on the highway and cleaning up along the Sunflower River. Several people also spoke to the need for a plan and a promise from city leaders to fund and follow that plan for several years.
Nathan Willingham, a city planner for Slaughter and Associates, said he had been hired by the city to attempt to find solutions to these problems. He said every city is different and he would help create a policy guide to improve the quality of life in Clarksdale.
The Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioners will meet again at noon Thursday, June 8 at City Hall. All board meetings are open to the public.
