By Megan Ashley Fink

 

NATCHEZ — Natchez aldermen have called a special meeting to discuss the appointment of a temporary replacement for Ward 2 Alderman Rickey Gray, who will vacate his post next month when he’s sworn in as a county supervisor.

The mayor and board will meet at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 21 in council chambers.

Gray’s last regularly scheduled meeting as a Natchez alderman will be Dec. 15, but it’s unclear who will take his seat.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said the board has discussed who would replace Gray, but no decision has been made.

Gray serves as Ward 2 alderman and will vacate his seat Jan. 4, when he will swear in as an Adams County supervisor.

Mississippi law states that if municipal office is vacant for less than six months, the board may appoint a temporary replacement rather than hold an election.

Gray was elected as supervisor in August, but has delayed being sworn so the city could avoid holding an election for the position.

Gray said that instead of being sworn in with the other new county supervisors on Dec. 26, he decided to wait until January to avoid wasteful spending on a special election for his position.

Gray will not officially step down until he is sworn in as a board supervisor.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Gray said. “It doesn’t make any sense to have an election for my position when in January, they’re going to be qualifying for the seat anyway.”

A Ward 2 alderman will be elected in the city election in May 2016 and sworn in on July 1.

In order for the appointee’s term to be less than six months, Natchez City Attorney Hyde Carby said that Gray would need to wait to be sworn in as county District 4 supervisor until after Jan. 1.

Natchez Mayor Butch Brown said the appointed replacement would have to agree not to run in spring in order to be considered.

Three people have been brought up in discussions, Brown said, All three of those people have agreed if they are appointed, they will not run for the seat in the spring election.

Carby said that there is no code that requires appointee candidates to promise not to run.

“I’m not sure what the legal mechanism would be to enforce (the promise,)” Carby said. “But certainly, they could all just agree.”

The city attorney said he was not asked to research the matter before appointee candidates were asked to promise not to run, but to his knowledge, the request is legal.

“I don’t see why it would not be legal (to request the promise,)” Carby said. “Nobody’s asked me to research it. I’m shooting from the hip here. It may be illegal,”

Gray leaves his seat after approximately 16 years as Ward 2 alderman.

Gray said he would represent many of the same residents he has for years, because the county District 4 encompasses much of his current ward.

“They still have me as their supervisor,” Gray said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Gray said his goal as supervisor is to improve communication and efficiency between county and city government.

“Everything you do in life is all about communicating,” Gray said.

Adams County Board of Supervisors President Darryl Grennell will retire Dec. 31.

Grennell, who has represented District 4 for 19 years, said he hopes Gray will be able to improve cooperation between city and county government.

“I think it can be achieved because he has that background in city government,” Grennell said. “He can come up with creative ways to handle that.”

Grennell said he hopes Gray will continue the district’s momentum in improvements to infrastructure.

“I think Rickey is going to help raise the bar in terms of enhancing roads and bridges in District 4 along with providing additional services,” Grennell said.

Grennell said he and Gray plan to sit down and discuss the ongoing projects in the district prior to Grennell’s retirement.