When I was a young boy my father told me something, and I have passed it on to my two sons as well.

Do whatever you think you should but remember there are consequences for your actions. In the case of the Economic Development Authority, I feel my actions were warranted. My actions were and still are to open a line of communication between the alderman, supervisors and EDA.

We had not seen any of the board in months. The last meeting they attended was to borrow $100,000.

I believe we should continue working on promoting industry.

As I researched the matter, I found that 79 counties in Mississippi have an economic development division. Only nine use our current system.

The most successful, and majority, use the chamber or foundation system which is basically the same. Some examples include the Oxford/Lafayette County Chamber of Commerce, the Tupelo-Lee Foundation and the Hancock Chamber of Commerce.

I will be glad to pass this list along to anyone interested.

By involving the chamber you get local businessmen and businesswomen involved. The system is made up of boards that rotate off, they are broken down into groups that target areas of need, industrial, retail, education, recreation, downtown and special events. It makes little sense to me not to at least consider using the chamber. Think of the savings: rent, phone bills, copy machines and supplies just to name a few.

I believe we should involve people that know about making a payroll, that think outside the box and that have proven they can be real decision makers. The future of Adams County depends on choices we make every day, and I don’t take that lightly.

I also know I could sit at the end of that table and do nothing and be re-elected or go downtown and drink whiskey with good ole boys and be re-elected. I will fight for the taxpayers even if it isn’t the popular thing to do.

While I admit I made a mistake, this is not my first, and it will not be my last.

Those of us that are actually working for you, the taxpayer, will make mistakes from time to time. It seems as though the board of supervisors, board of aldermen and EDA and some past elected officials all have been ignorant of the law concerning the EDA and the August meetings.

If any of you have any issues you would like to discuss with me please feel free to contact me and don’t make assumptions without at least hearing all the facts.

I have four years to make changes that need to be made and at the end of my term I will accept my consequences and feel good about what I have accomplished.

Mike Lazarus

Adams County supervisor, District 1

601-445-4576, lazarusarts@bellsouth.net