Two supervisors, one challenger sign up for election|[01/17/07]
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, January 17, 2007
More matchups for Warren County supervisor are taking shape, with two incumbents filing for new terms and a challenger filing in District 2.
District 2 Supervisor William Banks filed for a full term late Friday and District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders turned in papers Tuesday to run for re-election to the county board.
Banks won election to the post in a special election in November 2005, defeating interim supervisor Larry Prentiss, who was appointed. The seat was vacated after 10 years by Vicksburg North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield when he was elected to the city board in the 2005 municipal voting.
Banks filed as a Democrat, meaning he will appear on primary ballots Aug. 7.
Filing as an independent in District 2 was Tommie F. Rawlings, who ran unsuccessfully for North Ward alderman in 2005. His name will not appear on the ballot until the general election Nov. 6.
Rawlings has been a critic of the unit system of county government, used in Warren County since 1988. Reached Tuesday, Rawlings, a construction contractor, said he still plans to gather signatures to put the issue to a vote on the November ballot. There is no legal process under which citizens can force matters, other than bond issues, before the public for a vote. Any petition could only be presented to supervisors as a request for a vote.
In the 1980s, the unit system was mandated by the Legislature and centralized county functions such as road maintenance, engineering and fire protection into departments. Previously, under the beat system, each supervisor hired crews, purchased supplies and operated independently.
Flanders remained an independent, meaning he will advance to the general election to face any party nominees who win preliminaries.
As of this morning, no other candidate had qualified in District 4, although former Supervisor Bill Lauderdale has said he will likely run.
Flanders defeated the four-term incumbent Lauderdale in 2003 by 189 votes.
Also qualifying Tuesday was four-term Tax Assessor Richard Holland, who filed as a Democrat.
District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon has qualified officially, while David McDonald in District 1 and Richard George in District 5 have not, but are expected to make it official this week.
Other offices that will be on the ballot along with statewide offices include district attorney, sheriff, tax collector, justice court judges and constables. All candidates must file by March 1.