The Clarksdale Mayor of Board and Commissioners passed three resolutions at a special meeting Friday to go before the state legislature that could cause some changes in the electoral process and lead to funding for projects.
The first resolution would allow a measure to be passed if a simple majority of those who voted were in favor of it.
Mayor Chuck Espy said, when the policy was made where a majority of registered voters had to approve the measure, there could have been as few as 100 registered voters.
“This brings it into current times where it says the majority voting on that day,” Espy said.
Commissioner Ken Murphey agreed with the mayor’s statement.
“I did travel to Jackson at one point with the former city attorney,” he said of former City Attorney Curtis Boschert.
“That (the city’s current policy on special elections) was one of the things that Sen. Gary Jackson totally disagreed with. The way it was written, it took it out of the hands of the people and he totally thought that was something that needs to be changed.”
The next two resolutions were proposing elections for Aug. 6, 2019.
One would be for voters to decide if the city should dissolve the Clarksdale Public Utilities board of directors and create an advisory board in its place.
The other resolution would be for a bond issue of $17 million that would be used to fix streets that are flooding, build new bridges, pave new roads and install new sidewalks.
A property tax, likely assessed in 2020, would fund the urban renewal bond to pay for the projects.
Espy explained how the advisory board for CPU would function.
“They will be just the same board, but they will answer directly to us,” he said. “There’s a distinct difference. There’s a huge canyon. Remember the public was saying the CPU board didn’t have to answer to us? They didn’t have to answer to anyone?
“Now, what we’re doing is getting permission to dissolve that board and create an advisory board that answers to us. They will have the identical practice, but they will answer to the mayor and commissioners. They will come before us for every decision they make.”
Espy said the CPU advisory board could be the same five individuals who are already on the commission or they could be all new people. However, he said the goal of the advisory board is not get rid of the commissioners.
“It’s only the system,” Espy said. “It’s the structure in which we follow, so it will be the same structure, but they will only answer to the mayor and commissioners. The mayor and commissioners will vote ultimately for the decisions about CPU.”
Espy also praised CPU general manager Curtis Boschert, who has been in his position for a little more than three months.
“I think Curtis is doing a magnificent job, so far, but this has nothing to do with being the chief executive officer,” Espy said. “This has absolutely nothing to do with that.
“This is to make sure that what we went through last year with board members saying that ‘I don’t answer to the public,’ we’re making sure it’s very clear that now by us petitioning the legislature and the voters being able to vote, the board will be there, but they no longer will have complete autonomy. They must answer to the mayor and commissioners.”
