Tupelo Mayor Explains Reasons Behind Decision Not To Seek Third Term

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton will not seek a third term.

The mayor made that announcement over the weekend, taking many people by surprise.

Mayor Jason Shelton said he has spent the past six months trying to decide whether to seek a third term. But family matters and the upcoming presidential election were big factors in his decision not to run again.

“The time is right for me to go back to practicing law, take care of my family, provide for my family,” said Mayor Shelton.

When he was elected in 2013, Shelton was the first Democrat elected mayor of the All America City in nearly three decades.

He easily won a second term in 2017. But in recent years, Mayor Shelton says changes in his personal life will require more of his time and attention. The mayor also says he plans to continue speaking out about the upcoming Presidential election.

“I’m 44, I’ve got a baby on the way, still dealing with my father’s estate, a lot of real estate, need to get that situation taken care of, so those things combined, coupled with the fact I do want to be vocal in this year’s presidential election, feel very strongly about, I’m campaigning for Joe Biden, I know that’s not the pathway for political expediency in the state of Mississippi,” said Shelton.

Indeed, the mayor has become more vocal recently in his support of Democrat policies and his criticism of Republican leaders. Mayor Shelton says he is not actively seeking a higher political position.

“The fact that I’m campaigning for Joe Biden does not put me in a position to get any type of federal appointment, if something like that was offered, it would be something to be considered, but you have to look at the reality of how those nominations are picked,” he said.

Mayor Shelton says he has learned a lot during the past seven years, in particular, how the city comes together during trying times, such as the murder of Tupelo Police Sergeant Gale Stauffer in December 2013, and the tornado that struck Tupelo in April of 2014.

For the next eleven months, Mayor Shelton says he and his team will work to continue the economic upswing that was in place before COVID-19 and continues in the wake of the virus.

“The commercial and residential boom we’re experiencing in Tupelo, that additional ad valorem, or property taxes, is going to offset the loss of sales tax revenue for the immediate future,” Shelton said.

Mayor Shelton and his team are working on the 2021 budget. The mayor says there will not be a tax increase and there will be a small surplus.

Qualifying period for Tupelo municipal elections starts in January.

The election takes place in June of 2021.