Larry L. “Butch” Brown will be sworn in as Natchez mayor Monday. Among his first-year goals are cleaning up the city, focusing on community development and re-working the planning and preservation codes.

Archived Story

New mayor Brown full of goals for first year in office

Published 12:06am Sunday, July 1, 2012

NATCHEZ — With eight years of experience as mayor of Natchez, Larry L. “Butch” Brown said he will have no trouble hitting the ground running Monday to tackle some of the city’s most talked-about issues in his first year as mayor.

Cleaning up the city

Brown said he believes it is very important that the community be able to see rapid “physical” changes in Natchez. That change can come in many forms, such as cleaning up litter, dilapidated housing, cutting overgrown lots or removing abandoned vehicles, Brown said.

“You can see it now with just cleaning and some outside work on the City Council Chambers,” he said. “But that work needs to extend beyond City Hall, and people need to see some activity to let them know that there is new administration with new ideas getting to work.”

Brown said he will ensure residents see that work quickly.

“I think it’s important that those things get done so the general public feels there is going to be a new direction and commitment to making out city great again,” he said.

Accounting

One of the areas in city government that Brown said distresses him greatly is the way the city’s money is being accounted for and managed.

“I want to try to restore a good information dissemination device that lets the public know where we are fiscally, how we’re dealing with fiscal needs and, in some cases, discrepancies,” he said.

Brown said he believes once the public feels his administration is addressing city responsibilities that have been neglected and have not functioned properly, it will help restore confidence in city government

“It will give (the public) confidence in the leadership and the direction we want to take the city,” Brown said.

Getting the city’s accounting on track is very important, Brown said, because the city cannot make visible physical change, upgrade equipment and technology or address personnel issues until the city knows where it stands financially.

“Planning for the future will be a big part of this administration, but in order to deal with what our goals and aspirations are, we have to know how we’re going to pay for it,” he said.

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  • Anonymous

    You go Butch!!! We’re behind you all the way. I can’t wait to see the progress:). Get these delapidated structures torn down, CLEAN THIS PLACE UP.

  • Anonymous

    I’ve know Brown for a long time. “Goals” is not what I always thought he was full of.

  • Anonymous

    How about defining “…making our city great again.”  What has it been for the past number of years?  I can say that the lack of greatness has seen some of the best business recruitment in many a year! The lack of greatness has seen a reduction in the city debt (wonder who was mayor when all that debt was taken on). The lack of greatness has seen a streamlining of services.
    Just remember how insulting it is to make a statement like I quoted. Natchez has continued to operate and , indeed, started to thrive in these past years. Get over it.
    I hope all sorts of good things start happening to build upon the greatness that has been! I just know that some of us citizens will be watching the monies.

  • Anonymous

    Well there’s Nothing wrong with having goals. You got to know what you are trying to achieve. Just don’t forget about the children of the community. There is absolutely nothing for the kids to do. The only Skating rink left. There are only so many movies u can watch. We need a chuck e cheese or something.

  • Anonymous

    nothing personal I just believe it more when a politician puts it into action rather pretty words for the press. His main goal should be t get the budget and all finances in order. It is good to clean up the city from debris and such but the public has to do their part too. I feel the historic preservation has the right idea about saving the history and preserving it BUT,  they need to be realistic about some it and stop being so pushy. They make themselves unapproachable with their attitudes and arrogance. The rec complex again got to get the finances in order first and I do not support this if it means a tax increase of any kind, people are strapped enough now. The bigger question is here is will he see this done or is it just pretty words he thinks we all want to hear???

  • Anonymous

    Your definition of “thrive” may be seen by many as a bit looser than mine / theirs.

  • Anonymous

    THIS IS ONE HAPPY MAN BEING ABLE TO LAND ANOTHER JOB AT HIS AGE. HE REALIZE IF HE HADN’T WON, THAT WAS IT FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE. AS A LONG BLACK RESIDENT OF ADAMS COUNTY; READING THIS ARTICLE DID NOTHING BUT MADE ME ANGRY. I CAN SUM UP ALL OF THAT CRAP HE IS TALKING ABOUT IN TWO SENTENCE: CLEAN UP THE CITY. AND SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE BLACK COMMUNITY TO MAKE THOSE BLACKS THAT VOTED FOR HIM FEEL HE’S DOING SOMETHING FOR THEM. IN OTHER WORD, TRYING TO PULL THE WOOL OVER THERE EYES. ANYTIME THEY VOTED FOR YOU, IT WOULDN’T TAKE THAT MUCH TO PULL THE WOOL OVER THER EYES. BROWN, IN YOUR SPEECH YOU PUT IN THE ND, WHEN YOU FINISH CLEANING UP THE CITY, WHAT’S NEXT ON YOUR LIST. WHERE ARE THE JOBS ? WHO IS OUR CHIEF OF POLICE ? WHERE IS SOMETHING FOR THE KIDS ? JUST TO BRING YOU UP TO PAR, MLK IS ALREADY ON THE BOOKS FOR REPAIR. BUTCH, LETS SEE CAN YOU HIT THE GROWN RUNNING DOING SOMETHING FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT’S IN NEED.   

  • Anonymous

    WOW!!!!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous

    Fiscal order?  Well, we have the $300k boondoggle on the interest rate swap which not one alderman understands; now add the $750k boondoggle on the Pecan Factory…where’s the money gonna come from?…and how about an oil compay drilling within city limits without permits?  Will there be prosecution?  Civil redress?  Hey Mayor, there’s in excess of $1 million you can begin with…then pick up litter.

  • Anonymous

    Absolutely, renegadegirl. Actions, not words. And watch the MONEY!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    Making his list sound like Santas coming to Natchez maybe it will be free of no charges huh’??!! ND needs to keep up the city debt as of today and what it will be at the end of Browns mayor term for that will be interesting!! I know the county folks are going to hold the sups down from spending a cent on a rec. complex just to stay up with Vidalia isn’t to smart!!

  • Anonymous

    DD HAVENEVERHEARDTHEEXPRESSION “Hit THEGROWN runing”……..PLEASEEXPLAIN THISNEW FORMOFENGLISH. I agree, ASICANSEEBYYOURPOSTINGS, OURSCHOOLSAREAREALMESS.

  • Anonymous

    Well, the ugly racist has raised his head again……… Good for you dave07deuce07….. The hate you evoke is consuming you! God frowns down on hate, but obviously you aren’t a Christian…..  Maybe you would have been better pleased if he had left the “black” community out of his plans and this article???? Give the man a break….. Just maybe he has the black communities best interest at heart, ya think????? Know, you don’t think, you just spout off a bunch of hate/ racist remarks everytime you leave a comment….. With attitudes like yours, no wonder we are so racially divided…. Your President also loves stirring that pot too….. This country is DOOMED because of people like you!

  • Anonymous

    I doubt the black community needs or wants DD saying they are too dull to arrive at the “correct” voting decision.  I assume they made a thoughtful, informed choice and voted the way they wished.  I wouldn’t think they’d like it to be said they must be “having the wool pulled over their eyes” because they voted for someone DD did not.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/LGVEJCCEQD7CIJDOZGN4Q36AXI Joe

    OMGCAPSLOCKOMGGGGGGGGGG

  • Anonymous

    As I once tried to defend you on these comments I feel I have the right to criticize your hateful, derogatory remarks that you insist on making in your last few comments. This world does not revolve just for the sake of the Blacks. There are many different colors here in Natchez as well as in our beautiful America as a whole. You as many others, prove in your printings, were raised with Black hatred in your hearts for other races. You refuse to see and understand how much better you have it now compared to fifty or more years ago. You just want more, more and more. Instead of trying to find the good in life you want to live in the past with your hatred.  It has been proven that you and other Blacks have had more than your share Get over your hatred and start living the good life, free of hatred.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    I want to see our Ms. flag put in the federal,city and state offical locations and if Brown is to make a list this is one very important issue to us Mississippi taxpayers and citizens are waiting Mr. Brown!!!

  • Anonymous

    I hope Butch will shake up the preservation commission.  It is too political.  What makes these housewives educated enough about building anything to ruin potential investors in Natchez with there ideas and cost them tons of extra money?  It is a painful, costly process.  The buliding department is a joke, with the exception of the electrical inspector.  He is the only one that seems to know what he is talking about. We should welcome anyone with open arms that wants to spend money in this little town…that is getting smaller everyday…  I think there should be a person between the planning commission, the preservation commission and the building department that gets potential investors ready for the fight of there lives.  its totally ridiculous the hassle and cost of trying to open a business here in mayberry.

  • Anonymous

    The guy drilling the well was the Mayor’s son-in-law.

  • Anonymous

    In regard to cleaning up Natchez, somewhere someone said we should get some of the bags that you put in your car for trash.  Great idea, the problem is how the bags are afixed to the car.  In the old days it had a little hole in the handle and hung on the radio knob — today, no knobs!  I have looked at a waste bag for my car, but never seem to find one that will stay put where the driver can easily reach it.  I wish you luck and hope you find something — I will be one of the first to come get one and hand out to all my friends.

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