Thompson calls for shared power, transparent leadership

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Mayoral candidate Willis Thompson is urging Vicksburg residents to embrace a community-first mindset, saying the future of Vicksburg depends on collective action—not top-down politics.

Speaking at a Get Out the Vote rally Saturday at The Watermark, Thompson pitched a vision of leadership rooted in collaboration and transparency to address the city’s current challenges.

“The greatest power we have is shared power,” Thompson said. “It would be naive of me to think that I have answers to all the problem’s of the city of Vicksburg. It’s about partnering… with the police department, fire department, the spiritual community, and every citizen in the city of Vicksburg.”

Thompson also said that real change starts with public engagement—that each person in the community has something to offer.

“When people ask, ‘What are you going to do for young people?’ the question really should be, ‘What are we going to do?’” Thompson said. “Each person has a life experience, you have a skill, you have a resource. You’ve been places and you’ve done things, and you have something to offer to your community. I just want to be a conduit to bring it all together.”

Thompson also spoke on his plan to foster a business friendly environment, where businesses “can prosper.”

“It disheartens me when people say ‘I want to shut things down and leave,’” he said. “I think that if we work together we can find solutions for success.”

Part of that solution, Thompson claims, is to make sure that a comprehensive plan is in place, not just for the current election cycle, but for years to come.

“If it’s the right thing to do, I’m willing to take the hit,” he said. “I’m not here to be a lifelong mayor. I just want to fix what’s broken and leave behind a roadmap for the next leader.”

Thompson also said that, if elected, he will operate the city with transparency, as well as by implementing metrics to track the city’s success.

“We all need to know where the city is going,” he said. “If it’s good news, we’re going to tell you. If it’s bad news, we’re going to tell you, and we’re going to work through it. We’re going to put some metrics in place so we can make sure that we’re making the right decisions, and we select the right people — based on merit — so that we can be equipped to take care of the problems of the city.”