Candidate Interview with VDN: Vickie Bailey

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — On May 21, 2025, all five candidates for Municipal office were contacted to set up an interview with the Vicksburg Daily News. Vickie Bailey was the first to respond and was the second interviewed.

Each election cycle, the Vicksburg Daily News set up interviews or a debate for the candidates. This cycle, we decided to conduct interviews with the candidates. They are asked the same questions, and their responses are presented, unedited, to the public.

The Vicksburg Daily News is proud of its reputation for holding elected officials accountable. We work for you, the people, taxpayers, and voters of Vicksburg and Warren County. We take our responsibility seriously and work to be fair with everyone.

Here is the interview with Vickie Bailey:

• We are doing the same format with each candidate. You will be asked a question and once you are done answering you will be asked the next question. Once we start, we will not stop filming until all the questions have been answered. Any questions?
• Introduce yourself and tell the community who you are and why you are running for office
• 1.) What’s your favorite thing about our town and what should we do more of?
• 2.) Instead of asking your least favorite, let’s talk about crime. what is our situation and what will you do about it?
• 3.) Businesses in the community have been shut down after a violent incident occurred there. If elected will you continue that practice?
• 4.) What is the current state of things for kids in our community to do, and what will you do about it?
• 5.) What is infrastructure? What is the condition of our infrastructure, and what will you do about it?
• 6.) Surrounding communities on I-20 and I-55 don’t seem to have an issue with overgrown grass in the medians. Why does Vicksburg and what will you do about it?
• 7.) Our main tourist corridors are Clay Street and Washington Street. Both roads are in rough condition, and repaving and restriping are needed. There is constant trash and debris in those roadways. Once upon a time, they were well-maintained with attractive flower boxes. How will you improve the view for tourists and citizens who travel Washington and Clay Streets?
• 8.) A statement and then a question – Vicksburg is in decay. Homes and roads are crumbling, and the overall appearance is not of a flourishing town but of a dying town. Do you agree with that assessment, and what will you do to improve the blight in the community?
• 9.) What is the current population of Vicksburg? How is the population trending, and what will you do about it?
• 10.) If you were not running, why should the voters vote for your opponents?
• 11.) Before you give your closing statement, what other issues or topics would you like to present to the community?
• Would you like to give a closing statement?

The incumbent, Alex Monsour, has promised to do interviews with the Vicksburg Daily News but has yet to do so. On Friday, May 30, 2025, Monsour posted a video listing his grievances with David Day, publisher of the Vicksburg Daily News, and used those complaints as an excuse not to face the VDN cameras.