Meet John Carroll- Vicksburg’s new City Clerk

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — John Carroll is no stranger to Vicksburg’s City Hall as he took the oath of office to serve as the City Clerk at the Board of Mayor and Aldermen held Monday, Aug. 10.

Although Carroll is not from Vicksburg, his mother has deep roots in the River City. Carroll grew up and attended school in Los Angeles, Cali. For 14 years Carroll worked for the San Bernardino Department of Public Social Service. He made the move to the Magnolia State in 1999 when he visited to help his daughter get settled in at Grambling State University.

“That’s when I fell in love with the city,” explained Carroll. “I went home and for a whole month I thought, ‘That’s where I want to retire.’ But then I thought, ‘Why wait to retire to go there?'”

Within 30 days, Carroll had secured a position with the City of Jackson. On Dec. 2, 1999, Carroll and the moving truck rolled across the Mississippi River Bridge.

For years Carroll worked for several municipalities in Mississippi including Jackson, the City of Canton and Yazoo City. Additionally, he worked for the Warren County Justice Court.

In 2001, Carroll met then Vicksburg City Clerk Walter Armstrong. He had the interview on a Wednesday and began working for the city the following Friday. He continued to work in the City Clerk’s office until he left in 2018. He continued to serve in municipal jobs until his retirement in 2023; however, he did not stop working and started his own business.

Recently, Carroll received a phone call to see if he’d be interested in coming back to Vicksburg to serve in the clerk’s office.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for me to come back at this time in my career to the place that I started,” said Carroll. “It’s dear to me and it’sits a heavy weight to be on the other side of the City Clerk’s door.”

Carroll said that he holds professionalism, integrity and ethics as his highest standards.

“I’ll tell anyone that I will share my P.I.E. with them- Professionalism, Integrity and Ethics,” said Carroll.

The new City Clerk stressed his intentions to be a positive steward of the people and of the city.

“Everybody has the right to be treated with courtesy, consideration and respect. I’m in a public arena, whereas I want to deal with the public as a representative of the city, as representative of the Mayor and Aldermen,” he said. ” As representative of this office here, I can assure everybody that comes in here will be treated with courtesy and consideration and respect.”

Carroll is married to the former Alice Smith of Gulfport, Miss. On Oct. 1, the couple will have been married for 15 years. They have five children, 17 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Vicksburg’s City Clerk’s office is located on the second floor of City Hall, 1401 Walnut Street, Suite 212. The phone number is 601-634-4553.