Lowndes County Supervisors discuss nomination of new board president

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County supervisors’ decision to extend the county’s mask mandate is about the only thing they agreed on at their meeting Monday morning.

A heated discussion centered on the nomination of a new board president.

District 5 supervisor Leroy Brooks nominated Jeff Smith from district 4 to take the position, saying his and Smith’s experience and qualifications made either of them the best person for the job.

Brooks went on to suggest that they both had been overlooked in the past because they are black.

Tripp Hairston, who represents district two, maintained that race should not decide who becomes board president.

Brooks believes it always has.

“I don’t understand it. And for a supervisor to talk about race should not be the criteria, well what criteria has been used over the years? It is about race. Nobody likes to talk about it, but it is. Because if you look at the education and qualifications and training of people that sit at the head of that table, it’s no comparison to the kind of experience and training that Jeff and I have,” said Brooks.

The board voted to table Brooks motion, killing the discussion. District 3 Supervisor John Holliman is still acting board president.