Video: A Bittersweet Day for Starkville’s Youngest Mayor in History

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a bittersweet day for Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman.

There were boxes and packing tape and fond memories.

After two terms, he’s moving on to new opportunities.

Wiseman was Starkville’s youngest mayor when he took the oath of office eight years ago.

Now, more history is coming.

On July 3rd, Mayor-Elect Lynn Spruill will be the first woman to run the city of Starkville.

At just 28 years old and basically right out of school, Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman was sworn in as the city’s youngest mayor.

Now, almost a decade later, he’s packing up and moving on from running a city, to practicing law at the Attorney General’s Office.

Wiseman says seeing long-discussed projects come to life are some of his favorite accomplishments.

“Opened a new city hall, we’re in a public-private partnership with the university, the county, and the state and a private developer opened up a conference center and we have a soon to be opened police headquarters.”

With the exception of college, Starkville has always been home for Wiseman.

“This community was always a part of me, but it’s an even bigger part of me now. The one thing I could always count on is my day was going to be spent in some capacity, trying to make Starkville a better place.”

Starkville’s soon to be, first female mayor, wants to continue what Wiseman started.

Lynn Spruill says will use her experience in city government to help lead the Oktibbeha County town.

“I would love to see us increase our footprint, become an even larger community. Right now, we’re the largest community in the Golden Triangle, largest city in the Golden Triangle, I’ll put it that way, so I want to see that continue. I want us to be that star, Starkville the star, on the map.”

July 5th will be Spruill’s first day on the job.

A special judge will hear Spruill’s motion to dismiss her opponent’s request for a new election.

That hearing is set for July 11th.