As the city of Yazoo City anticipates growth and progress with the Willie Morris Parkway, Mayor Diane Delaware wants to continue the positive momentum without “heading backward.”
“Our objective is to move forward,” she said, during the city council meeting Monday afternoon. “We are not going back to the time where it used to be in Yazoo City.”
Delaware said major improvements have been made within the city’s departments. But she admits there are times when it is easy to return to the past.
“We are at a point in Yazoo City where there seems to be a tendency to go back to the way things were,” Delaware said. “Very often in these meetings, we talk about the same things over and over. We circle back. It is easy to circle back because it’s comfortable.”
Delaware said the Willie Morris Parkway is the future of Yazoo City. But she also said she doesn’t want the city’s $7 million investment to turn into an “industrial rathole.”
“Our parkway is intended to create for Yazoo City something we have never had,” Delaware said.
Delaware said there is also an overall objective to make the community “brighter and better” through improved performance, programs and education.
Recently, the public works department prioritized and addressed several flood areas within the city. When heavy rainfall did occur, the department was able to effectively address areas before problems arose.
But Delaware also said there are areas in need of improvement, specifically some repair work that needed to be made within the police department’s building. Looking up at exposed ceiling work, she said it was unacceptable.
“The city’s buildings are taken care of by the department heads,” Delaware said. “This is not the only place in Yazoo City where this is occurring. But after a month or so, if the problem hasn’t been found, it is time to find another problem solver.”
Alderman Dr. Jack Varner said when issues come to light, the city council needs to quickly address them. He also said the city leaders need to hold people accountable, something that has not been done in the past.
“We need to bring it out,” Varner said. “We have to become tougher if we want our city to progress, look good and be the city we want it to be.”
Delaware added that she is pleased with the city council’s desire to move in that positive direction through action.
“We fix things now,” she said. “We do the things that must be done.”
