NATCHEZ &045; Mayoral candidate Phillip West said he’s only asking voters to do one thing this election season &045; consider his legacy of leadership and results in comparison with the other candidates’, then make their choice based on those facts.

West pointed to the more than 17 years he served on the Adams County Board of Supervisors and the five years he’s served in the state House of Representatives. Including other non-elected endeavors, &uot;I’ve spent more than 35 years being actively involved in the community,&uot; West said. &uot;In elected positions or as a community (leader), my experience far exceeds anyone else in the race.&uot;

That has allowed him to make contacts on the local, state and federal level and &uot;to learn about the people in the community I represent and am from,&uot; West said.

When it comes to economic development, West said that, as supervisors president, he was involved in bringing to the area the only industries with more than 100 employees that have located here in the last 25 years: Mississippi River Corp. and the casino.

West said he has also been part of other recruitment efforts, such as trips local officials went on to court industrial prospects before those duties shifted to the Natchez-Adams County Economic Development Authority.

He said he also organized a meeting with then-Gov. Ronnie Musgrove, Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director J.C. Burns and other officials to discuss development in southwest Mississippi. There, he said, he helped turn around the notion of state officials that Natchez was only interested in tourism.

In addition to assisting the EDA in any way possible, the mayor’s role in economic development is to act as a liaison between the EDA, other local entities and the whole community, West said.

And since successful recruitment of industries is determined by a community’s attitude as well as other factors, he said, &uot;the mayor has to be a person who can sell the community and is willing to work with all factions in the community … to get people on board with the direction we’re moving, to bring people together to put us in a better position to be competitive.&uot;

West also points to his community involvement for proof he can bring people of different backgrounds together to achieve common goals. In 1984, he was elected by a half-white, half-black Adams County Democratic Party to become its first black chairman. In 1991, he was elected by the Board of Supervisors as its first black president.

Most recently, he was chairman of the Boys & Girls Club steering committee.

&uot;In my opinion, that is probably … the best reflection of people working together for a cause,&uot; West said.

With regards to city finances, West said he would be conservative with taxpayers’ money and would work to seek money from outside sources &045; to address beautification and erosion problems, among other things &045; by hiring at least one grant writer. He said he would also bring in industries and grow the city’s tax base. He said he would only support a tax increase &uot;if I had done enough investigation and analysis and if the project is something the people have decided they want to pay for.&uot;

Finally, when it comes to public safety, West said there is the perception that some police officers show favoritism to some citizens, although he is not sure how much of that perception is fact. He said that, as mayor, he would work to send the message to police that the law must be applied and that all people must be treated with respect &uot;regardless of who is friends with who.&uot;

He said switching to an elected police chief isn’t a top priority, although he would not oppose it if that is the will of the people.