From restoring interlocal agreements to improving community engagement to beautifying business and residential districts, newly elected supervisors Joseph Thomas Jr. and David Peyton are eager to use their new positions to give back to their hometown.
Both Yazoo City natives, Thomas and Peyton joined the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors last January. And they are excited about what they have already accomplished in a few months, adding that there is still much work to be done.
Since taking office, Peyton has organized several meeting engagements with the residents of District 4. Thomas helped spearhead an ordinance to clean up several dilapidated lots in the Shady Lane area. The county board has opened an inclement weather shelter on Mound Street. And Thomas and Peyton organized the first Yazoo County Day at the state Capitol, which was well received among the community and state leaders.
“Yazoo has always been home for me,” Peyton said. “I see a diamond in the rough. You must be a visionary. And I see what Yazoo can be. I want to bring people together to see how we can make Yazoo better.”
Thomas, who was appointed the county board president, is a 1993 graduate of Yazoo City High who said he was interested in politics. His father, Joseph Thomas Sr., currently serves as a state senator. And his mother, Elizabeth Thomas, represents Ward 4 on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
“I always wanted to serve in some capacity,” Thomas said. “I had run unsuccessfully for mayor for a couple of terms. I really did not give it any thought about any other position. To be honest, the way the mayor’s race turned out, I didn’t think I had any political clout.”
But then Thomas said he was contacted by the late Pastor Gregory Robertson, who was considering running himself for the county District 5 post.
“He called me about two weeks before he died,” Thomas said. “He told me he was going to run for supervisor of District 5, but his health was failing him. He said, ‘I prayed and asked God who could win that position. You came to me in a vision. If you run, you are going to win.’ I just kept going over what Pastor Robertson had told me. And here we are.”
Peyton is a 1984 graduate of Yazoo City High School and a 1988 graduate of Alcorn State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He is also a 1994 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Master of Public Health, Policy and Administration. In 2023, he graduated from the Community Research Fellow Training, sponsored by the USM.
Peyton was employed by the state department of health in Communicable Disease Prevention from 1989 until 2019. While there, he managed grants with budgets more than two million dollars, managed over 60 staff members for statewide programs and established collaborations with community stakeholders. He also serves as president and CEO of Gateway Solutions Inc., a nonprofit founded to address a variety of issues in the community with viable interventions. He also owns a consulting service with Peyton Unlimited LLC.
Peyton said he decided to run for the district 4 post because he said he felt improved engagement was needed.
“I didn’t even know who my supervisor was until recently,” Peyton said. “I feel like that is a person who needs to be known by their constituents. I wanted to make sure I was available and assessable to the community. I wanted people to see the government working for them.”
Peyton said he saw potential in Yazoo County, and he decided to run for office to be a part of it.
“If I am going to live here, rather than complain about the issues, I want to step up and address those issues,” Peyton said. “I ran for city alderman a year ago, and I never thought I would be running for supervisors this quick. But it happened. I want to be a part of the progress of Yazoo County.”
The first acts of business for Thomas and Peyton were the preparation and approval of a Legislative Agenda for state leaders. With that, the duo organized the first Yazoo County Day at the state Capitol, which involved over 150 visitors.
“We had a very diverse group representing Yazoo County,” Peyton said. “This is something we want to make an annual event.”
“What better way to lobby for Yazoo County than the people themselves,” Thomas added.
The community also supported the initiative. Southern Echo Inc. provided lunch and a 56-passenger bus. Students from Yazoo City High School, Manchester Academy, Thomas Christian Academy, Dream Innovations and county school superintendent Dr. Ken Barron attended the event. Downtown Marketplace donated gift baskets for the governor. Ubon’s provided a dinner for state leaders. The county provided gift baskets to the House Speaker and lieutenant governor. Various county and city officials, including the mayors of Eden and Satartia, were present. Sponsorships were also provided by many within the community, including the Yazoo County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
One of things Thomas said he is proud of is his effort to clean up some of the dilapidated parcels in the Shady Lane area. The ordinance will also be used throughout the county in other problem areas.
“Since I have been in office, we have been able to establish an ordinance that allows us to address those dilapidated properties that have been able to stand for decades,” Thomas said.
Thomas said six houses are set for public hearings with the property owners being given 45 days to address those conditions.
“No one has ever addressed that,” Thomas said. “You have a lot of good people who are put in bad situations because of never having ordinances. We were able to establish that ordinance so some of those areas will start to see the benefit of that.”
The county has also opened an inclement weather shelter on Mound Street inside a county-owned building.
“We are able to use something we already have to meet a need for the community,” Thomas said. “I consider that a plus that we were able to establish that.”
Peyton said, in addition to hosting several community engagement meetings within his district, he is also impressed with the county’s road crews and their department head, Jim Warrington.
“I have a really good rapport with our road manager (Warrington), and he is responsive in addressing the needs of our citizens,” Peyton said. “Even in the recent ice storm, our road crews were helping ladies drive their cars up the hills. I am proud of the work they are doing to help our citizens.”
Both Thomas and Peyton said they would also like to improve the county’s relationship with the city, bringing back several interlocal agreements that had been dissolved. One of those relationships involves the parks and recreation commission.
“The county and the city need to work together to beautify our business corridors,” Peyton said. “We must have the mindset that we want to have a clean community that is inviting to people. If it’s inviting, people will stay longer, spend more money, attract retail and other businesses. We want people to stay here and shop here. When I grew up, I could go downtown and buy a pair of nice quality shoes at Ingram’s or go to the Famous Store and get a nice pair of slacks. We need that again.”
Thomas said he is eager to prepare incentive packages for prospective businesses. He also wants the public to be aware that he is not just speaking within the city limits, adding that he is looking to the county for some of that progress.
“I am focused on the county itself,” he said. “We might have potential in Bentonia or near the I-55 corridor. I look forward to developing those areas for the future. We inherited Yazoo City, but we could create another one. My mind is not just stuck on the city.”
With the community’s outlets such as railways, the port, highways and the airport, Thomas said the potential is there.
“Look at the history of Yazoo County,” Thomas said. “We have always been trendsetters. I don’t think we should stop now. Let’s shine a light on the future.”
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