Willis Thompson Holds First Campaign Event

VICKSBURG, Miss – Candidate for Mayor, Willis Thompson, held his first campaign event on Thursday night.

Thompson and close to 70 supporters held a meet and greet and fund raiser at Walnut Hills restaurant Thursday night. The packed out event included live music and a chance to interact with the candidate.

“This will not be a campaign about me. This will be a campaign about every citizen and taxpayer in our community who desperately wants to see Vicksburg succeed,” Thompson said. During a brief speech, Thompson went on to say public safety is dominating the conversation with everyone and will be his main priority, but not the only priority.

People Over Politics

In his press release announcing his candidacy Thompson said, “Today in Vicksburg, much of the good happening in our community is largely being overshadowed by the bad. Crime is up while the population is decreasing. There are the ongoing problems of litter, blight, and a deteriorating infrastructure attempting to steal the spotlight within our historic city.” He reiterated those points last night and went on to say he will go after those problems by putting the most qualified people in key positions instead of political allies.

Thompson also said he will utilize a city planner noting we have not had one in over a decade. City planners, also known as urban planners, plan the use of land in cities and communities. They consider the needs of the community and develop projects to address those needs. The most successful cities across the nation utilized these specially trained professionals to keep their city competitive and growing. They also specialize in keeping city governments efficient and modern with a focus on spending taxpayer money wisely.

“We cannot expect new industries to invest in our city if we are not willing to do the same,” Thompson said. “The role of city government is to provide the highest quality of service at the least cost to the taxpayers.”

Thompson served as South Ward Alderman from 2013-2017. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, a Master’s degree in Business (MBA), and a Master’s in Divinity (MDiv). Thompson says he will be a mayor for everyone while working to ensure that Vicksburg can be a city where all residents feel valued, heard, and most of all, safe.

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Editor’s Note – The number of people at the event was updated after the article was originally published.