Monday officials from the city, county and state levels met over breakfast to discuss issues facing the Vicksburg Warren community.

State Sen. W. Briggs Hopson III said he got an invitation from the city to come participate in this program, which he finds to be beneficial.

“It’s good that we can discuss important issues for our community very openly,” Hopson said. “We discussed issues on the funding of projects, criminal law issues, and I discussed some deadlines for legislation to be introduced.”

Vicksburg North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield said the city has been hosting these breakfasts for years.
“I don’t believe that as elected officials at the city, county, state and federal level that you could do anything better than coming together and discussing local, state and federal issues,” he said. “We have to stay on the same wavelengths because it is imperative that we do in order to foster what we are trying to do in communities.”

The breakfast typically includes the local police chief, sheriff, city and county prosecutors, district attorney, mayor, state representatives, superintendent and other officials from the city and county, Mayfield said.
“All of these people are charged with doing the same thing, improving the community in which they live,” he said. “We try to carry out the wishes of the people we represent.”

Mayfield said the meetings help the local community leaders become more cohesive and, as a result, more effective.

“The bottom line is this, it’s all about making sure that everybody who represents the City of Vicksburg and Warren County is on the same page; that is the bottom line,” he said.

Mayfield said whenever people notice issues they should notify the officials who represent them.

“The people of Vicksburg should contact their officials if they have a brainstorm about something, don’t hold it then write a letter to the editor about something we are or are not doing,” he said. “Make and take the opportunity to come visit your officials.”

Mayfield said he would love for people to come to his office and sit and talk to him about their ideas. “We need to know where you are as a citizen what you want and what you feel is good for the community in which you live,” he said.