Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. hosted a town hall-style meeting Tuesday night, using the forum to address a number of citywide issues and opening the floor to discussion from a packed house at the Robert M. Walker Building.
Among concerns addressed at Tuesday’s meeting were public safety, employee pay raises, progress on the city’s animal shelter, the recent push to consider changing the city’s form of government, housing updates, trash collection payment increases, the city’s Riverfront Park property, the 2025 city budget and street paving projects.
While some topics of discussion received more attention and garnered more questions from the audience than others, Flaggs addressed each issue, along with Vicksburg Police Department (VPD) Deputy Chief Troy Kimble, who answered questions related to a proposed public safety initiative.
Below, The Vicksburg Post will break down recent concerns over the city’s form of government, local crime and overall public safety, as well the city’s response during Tuesday’s meeting in part one of a three-part series stemming from the public meeting.
Waffle House changes spark concerns
Flaggs began Tuesday’s meeting by again addressing concerns raised earlier in July when an announcement from Waffle House led to questions about crime in Vicksburg.
Last week, Waffle House Division Manager Hope Baker announced the chain’s four Vicksburg locations would each begin serving customers through only to-go orders on Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 11 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., citing safety as the reason for the change.
Flaggs pointed out, first in a meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and again Tuesday night, that the decision handed down by Waffle House management was not specific to Vicksburg and said it was not an indication that crime has risen in the restaurant’s four locations in town.
“Waffle house locations in the City of Vicksburg are not the only Waffle House locations in Mississippi that have had a policy to change; to close the dining rooms and have to go to to-go orders,” Flaggs said. “Upon further research, it was found that the following Waffle House locations in Mississippi have the same policy.”
Flaggs listed a number of Mississippi locations, including Batesville (beginning July 12), Columbus (existing policy), Forest (beginning July 12), Greenwood (beginning July 12), Grenada (beginning July 12), Hattiesburg (at least one of its three locations), various Jackson locations, Laurel (existing policy), Meridan, Moss Point, Pascagoula and Starkville.
Flaggs said research done by city officials also uncovered similar policies in Waffle House locations in other states, including Louisiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The full story on Flaggs’ and Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour’s recent comments on the matter may be found below.
Flaggs, Monsour send message in wake of Waffle House safety change: ‘Don’t scare the public’
Proposed changes to city’s form of government
Earlier in July, Flaggs first spoke out about a resurgence in an effort among at least one group of citizens to amass enough petition signatures to support a citywide vote on changing Vicksburg’s form of government.
The proposed change is specific and, if passed, would move Vicksburg to a five-member council and the inclusion of a city manager.
“It makes no sense to me,” Flaggs said Tuesday night. “As I have stated before, I am not interested in changing our form of government.”
Flaggs recently addressed what he called misinformation concerning his stance on the matter, saying online rumors have emerged that he would be in a favor of a change to the so-called strong-mayor form of government utilized in places like Jackson.
“It has been said that I am an advocate of one specific form of government, which is the mayor-council form of government, also known as the strong-mayor form,” he said. “Which is not true. I am not for changing the government in any form, especially the council form, where you have a manager and are represented by five people and a mayor.”
Flaggs said he sees no need for a city like Vicksburg to employ a mayor and a city manager.
“It makes absolutely no sense. You elected a mayor to lead or not citywide and then turn around and let a manger run it.”
Flaggs also dismissed the notion that his resistance to changing the government’s structure is rooted in a desire to retain power.
“It had nothing to do with power,” he said. “Our current form of government allows myself and the other aldermen to have equal votes. No vote carries more weight than the other. If power and full authority were my goals, then I wouldn’t be advocating for a form of government that allows that.”
Flaggs went on to say the River City’s current government layout also allows it to work more swiftly than cities with larger councils.
“Our current government structure ensures efficient decision making, unlike cities with larger boards,” he said. “Myself and the aldermen have been able to work together to quickly get things done without drawing discussion and argument or stalemate.”
The full story on the most recent push to alter Vicksburg’s form of government may be found below.
Flaggs clarifies opinion on altering form of city government: ‘I am not in support of changing’
Public safety
Presenting a draft for proposed changes to regulations concerning private security companies operating during events in Vicksburg, VPD’s Kimble laid out possible guidelines including:
- Licensing: All companies must hold a valid privilege license to conduct business within the City of Vicksburg.
- Permits: All armed guards must possess a valid State of Mississippi Security Guard permit and have it on their person while working.
- Bonds: All companies must be bonded.
- Background Checks: All guards must undergo a pre-hire background check conducted by the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. Additional background checks must be conducted every 180 days.
- Firearms: All armed guards must successfully complete training in proper use and safety of firearms. All training certificates must be available for review upon request.
- Uniforms and Equipment: All guards must wear attire that readily identifies them as security personnel. This should be uniform throughout the guard force.
- Duration of Event: Security personnel must not leave the event/venue until after the event is over and they have been released by the event/venue staff.
- Obligation to Report: Security personnel are required to contact 911 if they witness illegal activity or have an emergency on site. They must cooperate with any Vicksburg Police investigation, if necessary.
Kimble also presented a proposed ratio of guards to guests city officials said depends on three factors, including: time and place of the event; type of event; and whether or not alcohol is going to be consumed.
The ration was laid out as follows:
- 10-50 guests (no alcohol) – 1 guard
- 10-50 guests (with alcohol) – 2 guards
- 50-100 guests (no alcohol) – 4 guards
- 50-100 guests (with alcohol) – 6 guards
- 100-500 guests (no alcohol) – 8 guards
- 100-500 guests (with alcohol) – 10 guests
- 500-plus guests (with or without alcohol) – 1 guard per every 50 guests
City officials noted the proposed ratios take into account that more guards are needed where alcohol is consumed, as well as at venues where maximum occupancy is significantly larger.
Kimble said overall crime in Vicksburg has not seen the uptick often reported across social media.
“I’ve heard the comments, that ‘Oh, my God. Vicksburg is getting like Jackson.’ No we’re not,” Kimble said. “That is one of the most asinine comments that I’ve heard in such a long time, and I’ll tell you why. Because, of the four homicides that we’ve had this year, all four of those were solved. And they were acquaintances or domestic-related. Of the 19 we’ve had since 2021, all of them were solved, waiting, pending on one from the crime lab.”
While Kimble said Vicksburg’s crime problem is far below the mark set by larger cities like Jackson, he added that changes to how events are handled in the River City could help lower those numbers even more and fielded a number of questions from audience members concerning the proposed plans.
Vicksburg resident and business owner Daryl Hollingsworth voiced concern over those hosting events not being able to control who is brought in as security personnel.
“I think this is stepping on the owners’ toes,” Hollingsworth said. “I think, in the past, it’s always been between the owners and the security guard as to how many they would have and where they come from. My experience has been, whenever you hire local security guards, they are friends with the troublemakers in the crowd and they will not do anything to them. So, I have always gotten my security from outside of Vicksburg.”
“Not saying that that is not the case,” Kimble said. “We’re saying that you are actually permitted to work within the City of Vicksburg. Because I’m not familiar with that guard. They’re not registered, and they leave from here, we have no idea.”
Questions were also raised over the cost related to hiring outside security for venues like the public library, which may lack funding for such an expense.
“I understand that this may be something that’s gonna be expense, but what can you put the expense on?” Kimble said. “Something that happens that actually occurs and ‘I didn’t have it, but I needed it.’ Or the safety of those children or whomever may be at that event? I understand what you’re saying and that’s why we’re having this dialogue. Will get into those questions and we’ll have to get into it.”
Kimble also said an event at a private venue could be defined a number of different ways and would also require refining in order to determine whether or not it would cover gatherings such as weddings and funerals.
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