During Monday’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Alderman (BOMA), Mayor George Flaggs Jr. made a motion to reduce the mayor’s salary from approximately $126,520 to $106,520.67. The motion was seconded by Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour with both Flaggs and Monsour voting in favor and ultimately passing the ordinance.

“This is effective June 30,” Flaggs said. “This is where I had spoken about putting the $20,000 into the youth program but I’m not going to do that because I am not going to be here.”

Ward 1 Alderman TJ Mayfield recused himself from the vote. The rate of pay for the two alderman positions, which is currently at $87,787.41, remains unchanged.

Vicksburg’s June 3 municipal election produced tight results in the races for mayor and Ward 2 Alderman, with challengers Willis Thompson and Vickie Bailey ousting incumbent Mayor George Flaggs Jr. and Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour, respectively. Thompson and Bailey will officially be sworn in Tuesday, July 1.

Mayfield ran unopposed in the election and will be returning to office.

In a statement released Monday, Thompson called the move “politically motivated and emblematic of misplaced priorities within the current leadership.”

“It’s no surprise when a defeated politician drops a stink bomb on their way out the door, but it still leaves a mess to be cleaned up,” Thompson said. “I’m focused on issues like eliminating our $1.5 million garbage deficit and cleaning up our streets so local businesses can thrive.

“As mayor, I will focus on solutions to our problems, not petty politics at the 11th hour after already being defeated in an election. It’s time to restore integrity to our budgeting process, support our city employees, and deliver the services Vicksburg residents expect and deserve,” he said.

In September 2021, BOMA adopted a budget that included increasing the mayor’s compensation by $20,000 to approximately $126,520 and increasing the aldermen’s pay to $87,787.41. Flaggs drew criticism by some in the community for raising his own pay. The ordinance passed Monday brings the incoming mayor’s salary back to the pre-September 2021 level.

View the ordinance here.