Meet the Candidates: Warren County Board of Supervisors — District 1 Bill Jeffers

Published 7:22 pm Friday, August 2, 2019

Editor’s note: The responses to the questions posed to each of the candidates vying for nominations in their party primaries were provided by the candidates. The responses have not been edited. We appreciate the candidates for taking the time to participate in this survey and providing their responses in a timely fashion.

Bill Jeffers

• Hometown and how long you have lived in Warren County. If you’re a lifelong resident of Warren County please include that.

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I am a lifelong resident of Warren County. My parents and grandparents were also lifelong residents of Warren County and I have raised my children here. That is four generations right here in District one, so I have a deep personal commitment to seeing district one grow and thrive.

  Highest education level achieved and/or technical certification. Also include any degrees earned and institutions where those degrees and/or certifications were earned.

I graduated from Warren Central High School and then continued to Hinds Junior College where I graduated with an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice. I then continued to The University of Southern Mississippi where I graduated with my Bachelors in Criminal Justice and minored in Forensic Science. Since graduating from college, I have continued my education and received multiple instructor certifications for different law enforcement fields.

  In your opinion, what is the number one issue facing your district? Why do you believe that issue is a top priority?

The number one issue that is facing not only my district but the entirety of the City of Vicksburg is the lack of economic development. This problem is especially evident in district one with Ceres Industrial Park. The development of new industries in Warren County is stagnant, and if we don’t change that now we are going to continue to lose our most valuable resource, which is our children. My two daughters are planning to move out of the area after they graduate from college because they don’t feel that there is a future here for them, and that needs to be changed as soon as possible.

  As supervisor, what have you done to address issues in your district? If running for office, what would you do as supervisor to address those issues?

If elected Supervisor I believe that my experience over the last twenty-six years working with both the city and county governments puts me in the unique position to bring the two governments and the port commission together to move forward with economic development. We have incredible potential for growth with the Mississippi River, the railroad, and the Interstate all running through our county. We have to stop all the bickering between the two governments. We have to show potential industries that our governments are unified and focused on the future growth of Warren County.

  As a whole how would you grade the current Board of Supervisors’ performance? Be specific as to those things you believe the board has done well and those things that could have been done better. If you’re running for office, please grade the current board overall and be specific in those areas they have done well at, or need to do a better job.

If I had to grade the current board of supervisors on a scale of 1 to 10, I would say their performance is about a 3. The only positive thing I have seen them do is finally act upon twenty years of the Warren County Grand Jury telling them they have to do something about the current situation with the county jail. The current facilities are severely outdated and pose a danger to our law enforcement officials working there. They are finally moving forward with the purchase of the land to build a new jail. Incidentally, it is land which is located in district one.

  As a county overall, what do you believe the biggest challenge facing the county will be over the next four years and what do you believe you can do to meet those challenges if you are elected or re-elected?

The biggest challenge facing the new board will be to change the way businesses and industries look at Warren County. We have to show them that we are progressive and forward-thinking, not stuck in the past constantly fighting with ourselves. I will do everything in my power to bring the board together and work with the city, not against it. I will support our school district and our lighthouse school program and our Leader in Me program. I want our children to see that we have a plan for the future and that we are Focused on the Future. Please remember to vote on August 6th for Bill Jeffers for Supervisor of district one. Change is needed.