Jeffrey Rupp is running for Ward 3 alderman seat in Starkville

STARKVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – He’s served as mayor of Columbus and now wants to use his leadership skills in Starkville as an alderman.

Jeffrey Rupp has declared plans to run for the Ward 3 seat.

Current Alderman David Little announced last week he will not seek re-election.

Rupp will run as a Republican and wants to focus on lowering taxes and streamlining the process of doing business in the city.

He says his current position has given him insight into the importance of enhancing the relationship between the city and the university.

“I work in the entrepreneurial center at Mississippi State and we’ve been working with the city for a couple of years now and I’ve seen the growth. And that’s a testament to the leadership team,” said Rupp.  “My alderman is not running for re-election, so I thought it would be a good time to throw my hat in the ring to see if I can use my past experience to help continue making Starkville a great place to work and got to school and raise a family.”

Rupp served as mayor of Columbus from 2001 to 2006. He also worked for many years here at WCBI-TV.