Willis, Vickie, and TJ, they’re already gunning for you. Fight back.

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — At the swearing-in ceremony for Mayor Willis Thompson, Alderwoman Vickie Bailey, and Alderman TJ Mayfield as the new governing body for the City of Vicksburg, God, unity, and community were the themes of the evening.

People were jumping up and down, screaming, and applauding. The mood of the hundreds who attended the inauguration at the Ardis T. Williams Auditorium was electrifying. The hope for a brighter future was so palpable you could hold it in your hands.

All three of the newly elected community leaders spoke about the work to be done and that it will be a community effort. It will not be about who they know or what they can accomplish; it will be about the community working together to get our town back on track.

My favorite line of the night came from Mayor Willis Thompson, who said, “We’re going to call on the church. We’re going to join hands and seek God to lead the city forward, to give the city back to God, where it belongs.” And the crowd went wild.

Alderwoman Vickie Bailey discussed the importance of bringing the community together.

“Throughout my campaign, I often spoke about change, improvement, and unity,” Bailey said. “These are not just words. They are pillars on which we will build a brighter future for Vicksburg. I’m here, first and foremost, because I believe in myself—but I’m also here because you believe, as I believe, that Vicksburg can and will be a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, and that we can all embrace progress. We have an opportunity to honor our rich history.”

How refreshing.

The last administration was big on itself. “I did this!” “I’m going to do that.” “We’re bringing a major project that only we can do for you!” I’m personally glad the people voted and said enough of that bull excrement—let’s fix some problems.

In attendance at the ceremony was outgoing Mayor Flaggs, who was seated in the back of the room, wearing casual attire. He left well before the ceremony was over. Former Mayor Paul Winfield was there, looking as if he had just stepped out of GQ. His son, who is now taller than he is, was with him.

Surprisingly—or perhaps not—the defeated politician Alex Monsour was not in attendance. For perspective, every living elected official from the last four city administrations was there except Alex Monsour. I’m sure he was too busy to fit it into his schedule, just as he had been for over a year, to do a live interview with David Day at the Vicksburg Daily News.

Also not in attendance were organizations that had been gifted generous donations from the outgoing administration. There is an old guard element to Vicksburg. They’ve grown comfortable getting favors and large financial gifts—you know, our tax dollars—from the City of Vicksburg. Their not being at the inauguration for the new administration says a lot to me.

And it makes me wonder. It makes me wonder if they will create problems for the new administration. Kind of like the way a drug addict makes problems when they need a fix. They’ve become accustomed to the high of living off our tax dollars for so long that it will be hard to break that habit. They will most likely work the rumor mill to try to disparage this administration. They will spread lies and mistrust; that is their game.

My plea to the good people of Vicksburg is not to play that game. When an addict needs a fix, you can give them the fix or you can lead them to healing. Realize which path you’re taking when you respond to ugly rumors and lies from the addicts in full withdrawal from our tax dollars. We can choose to spread the lies and mistrust, or we can choose to build our city back from the plagues of crime and population loss—which our last administration ignored to their demise.

Our city leaders also must shape and control the narrative of the city.

Willis, Vickie, and TJ—address the rumors, go after the liars, and put the spotlight on them. For far too long, the city’s leadership had employed archaic methods that did not include engaging on the internet, other than to embarrass themselves. Remember, evil grows in darkness; shine some light on the rumors and lies.

Leaders of our city: take to social media, be part of the conversation, address the rumors and lies, and stay engaged with the community. Be open and transparent about everything. If you don’t, the career politicians will find their way back into the leadership of our little town. There are a lot of people who have lost a lot of money because you’ve been elected. They’re going to be coming for you. They need their fix, and they don’t care who or what they need to do to get it.