Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. announced his campaign for reelection Saturday with his wife, Kathy, and daughter, Sharla, at his side. Photo by Jacob Fuller.
Monday, January 28, 2013
A chant of "Four more years, four more years," sprang from the crowd of a few dozen supporters as Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr. took the stage at Fondren Plaza Saturday to announce his campaign for re-election.
Johnson, Jackson's first black mayor, first took the office in 1997. Johnson told the crowd that when he took back the office of mayor in 2009 after losing the election in 2005 to Frank Melton, his administration faced monumental challenges. The city had dismantled its grant program, and the budget was bleeding, he said.
"When I took office in July of 2009, I reported to duty and went to work for the people of the city of Jackson--without the need, by the way, for on-the-job training," Johnson said. "We can't afford another derailment. Let's keep this city on track. Let's go forward, full steam ahead."
Whether as a father and husband, as an officer in the U.S. Air Force or as mayor, Johnson said his entire life has been about service to others. "I've spent my entire adult life working for change. It's been the highest honor of my life, however, to serve as your mayor," Johnson said.
Campaign volunteers Dorothy Triplett, Mary Crump and W.C. Gordon also spoke at the event. Triplett called Johnson "a man of faith and a source of hope" for the city.
"He has brought honor and reason to the office of mayor and so much progress to our city at a time when just holding on would have been such an accomplishment," Triplett said.
Johnson responded to reporters' questions about Sam's Club, which recently announced it is moving to Madison. He said that Sam's Club simply made a business decision. Johnson said his focus will be on bringing new business to the location Sam's Club will leave vacant. He pointed out other places in north Jackson, such as the former home of K-Mart on Interstate 55 South, where other businesses quickly filled the vacant space after the big-box retailer left.
"We have CarMax there now, and we have Comcast there. Across the street, Virginia College is moving into the old Brookshire's," Johnson said.
Several city employees and public figures, including Jackson Police Chief Rebecca Coleman, were in the audience for the announcement. Coleman had her left arm in a sling, and joked when asked by this reporter what happened to it.
"I tried to slap (Jackson Fire Department Chief Raymond) McNulty, missed and hit a wall," Coleman said.
"Is that the story you're telling everyone?" this reporter asked.
"Yes, and I'm sticking with it," Colman said with a laugh.
After the re-election announcement, Johnson provided hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and drinks for the crowd. Dozens of supporters hung around on the cool, damp afternoon talking, eating and listening to the blues riffs of guitarist Jesse Robinson, who played along with backing tracks on stage.
Comments
thenry 11 years, 2 months ago
Please no.... No more four(4) more...... If we the citizens of Jackson are looking for upward mobility, safety, beautification, education, leadership and the list of desires goes on and on- for our future; our children, grandchildren then Harvey Johnson is not the man for the job. Now he does have a proven track record. It is evident of the loss in businesses, the pot holed filled streets, the crime and more important, the millions of federal dollars that have been returned because o f his inability to lead and place those in positions of leadership to effectuate change. If you give Harvey another four_ Potholes will turn into tiny basins, an increasing flight of revenue driven businesses leading to a "no tax base" will be our foundation.
So there!!!! Vote for anybody else but HARVEY JOHNSON..... HE WON'T HAVE MY VOTE... HE SHOULDN'T GET YOURS EITHER...
hotrodrobert 11 years, 2 months ago
Let's see Harvey Johnson # 1;Melton and Harvey Johnson #2 and pretty much the same city council through it all .The city is in a dismal state of affairs with all the money concentrated downtown;with its own protective force by the way.NE Jackson the only tax base besides downtown;the businesses fleeing Sam's Wholesale Club to bailout soon.Drugs and gangs are the primary businesses left and the kids are slaughtered and broken ,families are torn apart,and Hwy 80 one of the best pieces of commercial real estate with it's Historic value and grants available for development but it lies unused and unwanted .The same City Council and Mayor would be like the old adage "if you do the same thing over and over and expect different results by definition you are crazy"Haven't we buried enough kids ?Haven't we lost enough tax producing businesses?Haven't we watched the city turn into a garbage dump long enough?Are we really crazy enough to reelect these same politicians to ride this horse to death?Every city around us looks and smells better,the schools are better,they have jobs,they are safer.I love this city don't tell me to leave my rant isn't about pointing out the obvious it's to motivate us to rebuild and do it with different people.Harvey,Crisler,Blountson,Barrett-Simon and others aren't necessarily bad people but look at Jackson now look at any city around us ,they have competent representation and we don't.Please someone new with some organizational and business skills show your love of our capitol city and run for the job and steer this city to it's potential.
https://jacksonfreepress.media.client...">hotrodrobert by hotrodrobert
Knowledge06 11 years, 2 months ago
hotrodrobert you should really get out more. Since you're such a fan of your little blue truck, hop in and actually drive around the City of Jackson. Get a map because based on your post, your ACTUAL knowledge of the City is limited. Take your tea party buddies with you and enlighten yourselves. Perhaps you will see the many NEW businesses opening in ALL parts of the City. Perhaps you will realize that many of us in South Jackson pay the same taxes as those who YOU only think pay taxes in North Jackson. By the way, most of downtown is untaxed because the majority of the property is state owned. Did I mention that the state does not provide the City of Jackson with any compensation for that fact? That should be a nice little outing for you. Holla back when you gain some knowlege!
robbier 11 years, 2 months ago
Harvey's grandest idea yet, the convention center, raised our property taxes, is running a deficity, and he's now trying to re-fi the bonds. Hilarious and horribly sad at the same time. The only guy who's a bigger clown than Harvey, is Chokwe.
Donna, why doesn't the JFP kick in a little to get the convention center out of the red?
Knowledge06 11 years, 2 months ago
How's the convention center in Madison, Ridgeland, Brandon, Pearl or Clinton doing? Oh yeah, they don't exist. Refinancing occurs every day on many things. If there is a better deal to be had, one would really be a clown to not take advantage of it. The last time I looked, The City of Jackson has not run a deficit or had to lay off employees. And that's despite the economy. So robbier, do you really have a point?
swalker 11 years, 2 months ago
In think Mayor Harvey Johnson is a great mayor and positive role model. I agree that NE Jackson and downtown are the most tax base areas in Jackson but the reason for it all is crocked cops, city council, the department leaders as a whole and the lack of hope the citizens of Jackson has. Mayor Johnson has done great things for Jackson and I think if he gets 4 more years doing this time will we see Old Capitol Green, Farish St. Entertainment District, Convention Center Hotel, Ceva Green Residential, Hwy 80 Improvements, Metro Center Mall all thrive. One thing that I wish take place is that more developments pop up in south Jackson around Savannah St. and Elton St..
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