Years of service as a county supervisor and then as a state legislator provided good experience and training, Mayor Phillip West said.

But nothing he has done before compares to the job at City Hall.

West took time in recent weeks to talk about the whirlwind that has carried him along since he was sworn in as mayor in July. He motioned to his large desk and all the papers stacked there. Reading correspondence and documents consume much of his time, he said.

&uot;People have asked how I enjoy being mayor, but I’ve not had time to think about enjoying it,&uot; West said. &uot;But I can feel excitement about people thinking the mayor can help, the mayor can get things done.&uot;

Feeling that excitement from a cross-section of people has given him more motivation &uot;to work as hard as I can to improve this city,’ he said.

For more than 17 years, West was an Adams County supervisor, also serving that board as president. &uot;But this office is different. It’s more demanding but it also carries some influence with it.&uot;

For seven years, he was a representative in the state Legislature, also different from a mayor’s job. But the contacts he made while in Jackson already are paying off, he said.

Getting to know each other

One of his first goals as mayor was to get to know the other people in city government.

That has been a pleasure, he said. And it has been rewarding.

&uot;I think a lot of people in city government have learned to like me and even to respect me &045; of course, not everyone, I’m sure,&uot; he said, smiling broadly. &uot;I’m not perfect. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I think you try to inspire people, to bring out their best. You lead by example.&uot;

He wants people in city government, as well as everyone else he serves as mayor, to get to know him as a person, he said.

&uot;In the Legislature, people found out who I was as a person. They found out I practice what I preach and will stand up for what I think is right, that I didn’t base my decisions on what was always politically correct,&uot; he said. &uot;And I don’t mean just when it comes to black and white issues. That is true of any issue.&uot;

He considers himself a fair, honest and direct person. Some who know him might be surprised to learn that he also is shy. &uot;I’ve always had a shyness about me until I get to know someone,&uot; he said.

Building on city’s uniqueness

West envisions a team of people working together &uot;beyond the boundaries we’ve had before, taking advantage of our assets, our uniqueness.&uot;

Natchez has potential to become a much more successful city, he said. &uot;We can be much more than people expect us to be. I feel we’re moving in that direction. I honestly do. I think a lot of people see that we’re positioned to move forward.&uot;

He pointed to Leland Speed, director of the Mississippi Development Authority, someone in a position to help the city and who is committed to do that, West said. &uot;Our governor, our congressional leaders and people of leadership in the Natchez from the NAACP to the Pilgrimage Garden Club are looking for ways to help.&uot;

Sometime in the next year, West hopes to organize citizen committees to serve as advisory boards on economic development and community development. He wants to create more job opportunities, one of the commitments he made while campaigning for mayor. And he wants to enhance the quality of life for those who live in substandard housing and in poverty.

&uot;I believe in taking advantage of good ideas,&uot; he said. &uot;I don’t care where they come from. I just love them.&uot;

Dealing with the position

Being the first black Natchez mayor since Reconstruction did not intimidate him, West said. And he has felt no pressure from the African-American community to act or react in any particular way because of his race.

Not that there haven’t been critics. One person called to complain about his picture in the paper with other black mayors of Mississippi who came to Natchez for a meeting.

&uot;They came to Natchez because I’m the mayor,&uot; West said. &uot;I didn’t organize it. I told the person who called that, and he said he was glad he had called.&uot;

West has an open-door policy at City Hall, and his visitors have been from all segments of the community, he said.

His days at the office are long, often starting at 8 to 8:30 in the morning and sometimes going into the evening. &uot;I sometimes stay and hour or so after everyone has left,&uot; he said.

Getting to the priorities

West narrowed his campaign promises to three goals as he looked to the future &045; economic development, racial unity and tourism. Each area includes many facets, he said.

&uot;Economic development is anything that relates to improving the community’s economy, whether it’s infrastructure improvements or the jobs arena,&uot; he said.

He is committed to bring new, high-quality jobs to Natchez. His first step has been to make contacts and to get people in key positions to take notice of Natchez.

&uot;We have some people working for us already, Mississippi State consultants, the MDA, people involved in housing for MDA, the director of HUD,&uot; he said.

West organized a seminar with economic development consultants from Mississippi State University earlier in the fall to get feedback on Natchez assets and needs. He has met directly with Leland Speed, director of Mississippi Development Authority, and with the state’s congressional delegation.

He has a plan for working with HUD to get for Natchez a program recently completed in Meridian, where &uot;all their grants are under one title.&uot; The Super NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) allows a city to apply for different types of grants including housing, economic development and, unemployment.

HUD officials have said they want to work with Natchez, West said. &uot;Everybody’s told us they want to work with us. We just have to get the people to help us do that.&uot;

One person who will come on board in January is Brett Brinegar, who will write grants for the city. She is an important piece of the plan, West said. &uot;The grant writer is so important.&uot;

West said he cannot speak specifically about new job opportunities. &uot;People understand that it’s not something I can talk about openly,&uot; he said. &uot;But I and others are optimistic that in six months to a year we will have something that can really benefit the community, quality jobs that will make a difference.&uot;

All elected officials, all the people in economic development roles and people in the private sector are working together on getting quality jobs, he said.

Working toward unification

&uot;I said in the campaign that I felt &045; and I feel now &045; that because of my background and experience and how I am known in the community that I am in a position to bring us together,&uot; he said. &uot;It’s not going to be all smooth sailing. But we’re moving in that direction. There is a lot of genuine appreciation out there for efforts I’m trying to make.&uot;

At a recent Mayor’s Youth Council meeting, he said, the reaction he received from the young people was positive. &uot;Their eyes lit up when they found out my aim was more toward helping them and not toward my re-election,&uot; he said. &uot;I told them I’m concerned that you have a Natchez better than I had and my parents had.&uot;

West said he told the students about &uot;our history and the uniqueness of Natchez and how blessed we are to have what we have.&uot;

He is considering several ideas for a program that would bring all segments of the community downtown for a special day or weekend with activities to suit many different tastes.

Looking for more tourism

The program that might promote unity might also boost tourism for that day or weekend. West is committed to working with tourism representatives and with the groups that help to keep the town alive for tourists, including beautification committees.

Recently, Natchez Pilgrimage Tours and the city tourism department made an agreement for NPT to sell tickets at the Natchez Visitor Reception Center during Spring Pilgrimage.

&uot;Taking what we have and enhancing it &045; that’s tourism and economic development,&uot; he said.

So is revitalizing downtown and the neighborhoods that can benefit from the HUD programs he’s seeking.

In addition to a grant writer, he would like to see the city have a full-time community development worker. &uot;No city of this size can take advantage of what we have without someone looking out for it on a daily basis.&uot;

West said the Board of Aldermen took an important first step in endorsing the report made by consultant Stu Barash, who assessed strengths and weaknesses in Natchez tourism at the request of the Natchez-Adams County Chamber of Commerce.

&uot;The board is beginning to act on it. That’s moving forward. We have people so enthusiastic about improving that (tourism) sector. I feel blessed. We’re in a good position to have big things happen.&uot;