New president of Lowndes Co. Board of Supervisors inherit’s board divided by racial tension

LOWNDES COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – Trip Hairston is set to take over as president of the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors on Monday.

He will inherit a board mired in controversy.

On Friday, he sat down with WCBI’s Stephen Pimpo and said his main focus is on moving forward and serving the people of Lowndes County.

“I knew that it would be a challenge, especially presiding over the meeting, especially where things are currently at the moment and I was up for the challenge,” the District 2 Supervisor says.

The board voted to appoint Hairston as the new president on October 15. Hairston is the most junior member of the governing body and his selection prompted the accusation from District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks that the decision to give Hairston the job was based on race, not experience.

“He’s only been here 10 months and for them to just promote him to the head of the table and try to justify it is just racist,” Brooks said on October 15.

The board has long been divided by racial tension. It was in June that District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders stepped down as president after making racist public remarks to a Columbus newspaper. On October 5th, Brooks motioned to elect District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith, but that vote was tabled. The board elected Hairston 10 days later.

“The decision for me to serve in the capacity that I am serving in as president of the board for me was not based on a racial decision at all,” Hairston says. “That played no part in that. It was more of a political affiliation than anything else for me.”

Brooks and Smith, Both Democrats, voted against Hairston, who is Republican. The board of supervisors has not had an African American President since 2004.

“It’s unfortunate that this has become more of a racial conversation than anything else,” Hairston says. “And again, I’d like to get beyond that and find ways that we can work together.”

Hairston knows there are questions about his experience but believes his short tenure can actually serve as an advantage.

“I certainly can understand the criticism,” he says. “However, I do think that me being the junior-most member of the board, has fewer axes to grind, so to speak.”

He hopes that lack of bias can help him bring the board together so they can act on some of the main issues facing Lowndes County, such as economic development and new budgeting strategies.

“We’re not going to see eye-to-eye on everything and we’re not always going to agree,” Hairston says. “But at least we’ll be pushing in the same direction.”