AUTREY
By Billy Davis
After a narrow defeat four years ago, longtime Batesville car salesman Jerry Autrey is making his second bid for mayor of Batesville.
Autrey, 56, owns Mid South Floormats, which manufactures the mats. He also works with his brother, Jeff, at Wheels and Deals.
Autrey first ran for mayor in 2001, losing by 14 votes to five-term incumbent Mayor Bobby Baker in the Democratic primary. It was Autrey’s first try for political office.
In the current mayor’s race, Autrey defeated Alderman-at-Large Hudson Still in the Democratic primary to advance to the general election.
Autrey pulled in 77 percent of the primary total to beat out Still.
Autrey and his wife, Mary Lou, live at 504 Broad Street.
Autrey spoke to The Panolian on Tuesday, May 31 about his plans if he is elected Batesville mayor.
| What are your very own plans for the City of Batesville if you’re elected mayor? What specifically do you plan to accomplish within your first year in office? |
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Of course you know we have to select and approve a police chief, and we have to approve and appoint a new city engineering firm.
Then I need to familiarize myself with all of the department heads. I don’t know if Batesville’s got a job description of the department heads for what they’re supposed to do and the workers under them. If they don’t have (a job description), then we’re going to have one made.
I’m going to get with the Panola Partnership and some individuals in Batesville and pursue a new factory in Batesville. I’m going to go to Batesville Casket and make sure that we have a plan to assist them in their expansion, and everything that they need we can help furnish for them.
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| What are your plans for your four-year term if you’re elected mayor? |
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I plan to meet with all factory heads that are already in Batesville and see if they have any plans for expansion that I can assist them in.
I plan to have an advisory council in force to assist me and the board.
I intend to heavily pursue grants.
We’re going to have to build a new sewer treatment plant and maybe add a water tower east of Batesville.
I also intend to pursue a road in east Batesville that will connect the area around Lowe’s at Buckhorn Road and Hwy. 35. It may be a road that slings around parallel to Interstate 55. We’ve got to open that up in there.
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| You’ve talked in your campaign about building a youth center. Are you still pursuing that idea? |
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The youth center is still in my plans – long-term plans. Four years is enough (time) hopefully, but it may take me eight years.
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| What is your plan for reacting to the expected Highway 6 bypass? |
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From what I hear it’s a done deal. I don’t know if they’ve bought the land or not, but there will be a bypass.
It should start west of Heafner Motors and end east of the civic center somewhere. I look on this as an opportunity to develop land on both sides of that bypass.
Some people say it’ll hurt Batesville. I don’t know.
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| Describe your leadership style. |
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I like to involve people to help me. I like to use a friendlier, knowledgeable approach to solving problems rather than a harsh, destructive-type approach. I analyze the problem before I act on it.
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| Batesville has become a strong retail area but the sales tax collections have declined in recent months |
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I read that in The Panolian.
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| Yes sir, you did. If that trend continues, what would you do as mayor to address that problem? |
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First, we need to look at the problem on the retail side and ask the businesses first what they think the problem is and what they feel they need to correct it. Then, where the city’s able to help then, then that’s what the city needs to do.
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| Why do you think you’ll win the Batesville mayor’s race? |
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I’m giving the city government back to the people. The people will be more involved in problems and solutions of the city.
My family and I have been here in business for over 50 years. I will use this customer base to be informed of the problems that we have. |
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CORSON
By Billy Davis
Like his two opponents, Dr. Richard H. Corson is stressing job creation and economic development in his run for Batesville mayor.
This is Corson’s first run for public office. He is running as a Republican and enjoys the endorsement of the Panola County Republican party.
A retired OB/GYN, Dr. Corson, 73, moved his practice from Miami to Batesville about a decade ago. He is now retired from his practice.
Dr. Corson and his wife, Kathy, live at 106 Country Club Road.
On Tuesday, May 31, Dr. Corson spoke to The Panolian about his run for mayor and his plans for the city.
| What are your very own plans for the City of Batesville? What specifically do you plan to accomplish within your first year in office? |
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I plan to assess the needs of the people and the needs of Batesville. I will take care of everyday needs and economic needs.
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| Explain what you mean by "everyday" and "economic" needs. |
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Everyday and economic needs are streets, parks, police and fire protection, and an intelligent use of our money.
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| If elected mayor, what are your plans for your four-year term? |
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After the total term in office, I plan to bring about economic development, cut in half the 10 percent unemployment, and make Batesville the "queen city of North Mississippi."
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| Can you take one of those issues and further explain your plan, such as the unemployment rate? |
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The 10 percent unemployment is a real burden on the population. I plan to seek professional help in planning and in attracting new businesses. I will go to Washington (D.C.) to seek funds to accomplish this.
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| On a similar subject, Batesville has become a strong retail area but the sales tax collections have shown a decline in recent months. If that trend continues, what would you do as mayor to address that problem? |
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The decline in sales taxes (collections) has to do with unemployment and the fact that we need to be more competitive with greater diversification retail-wise.
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| Describe your leadership style. |
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My leadership style is a combination of delegation and responsibility in some areas and hands-on in other areas. Those areas where there is delegating would be scrutinized but generally left up to the people who know how to do that particular job as long as it’s done properly.
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| What is your plan for responding to the expected Highway 6 bypass? |
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First, we have to find out if and where it’s going to occur, and when. With that knowledge we have no alternative but to turn it into a commercial asset. But you have to know what’s going to happen first.
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| Why do you think you’ll win the election for mayor of Batesville? |
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I think my vision of Batesville and how to make this vision a reality strikes a chord with many people in Batesville.
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KORNEGAY
By Billy Davis
Batesville CPA Gary Kornegay is making his first run for Batesville mayor, though he has previously run for county supervisor in District 3.
Kornegay, 54, operates his accounting firm from an office on the downtown Square.
He is the current president of the Panola County Industrial Development Authority, which helps local officials locate, place and retain industries.
Kornegay and his wife, Andrea, live at 190 Kornegay Road.
Kornegay talked to The Panolian on Wednesday, June 1 about his plans if he is elected mayor.
| What are your very own plans for the City of Batesville if you’re elected mayor? What specifically do you plan to accomplish within your first year in office? |
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What I intend on doing is getting a thorough analysis of all the various departments, their expenditures, how they operate, and get a better grasp of what their operating expenses are, then try to eliminate any waste or anything that we can do without during the tough economic times we’re in.
My whole platform has been cost control, and better and efficient management of the city’s assets.
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| What are your plans for your four-year term if you’re elected mayor? |
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Continually scrutinize the expenses (and) operations of the city, take any excess funds that we can accumulate through better management so we can put them back into better streets and improved parks and recreation for the people.
I’ll also continually work on industrial recruitment. I’ve been working with the Industrial Development Authority for the past 17 years. I’m well-versed in that and want to continue to try to create jobs for the area.
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| Do you have any specific projects that you hope to accomplish? |
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Nothing as far as specific projects other than let’s try and get the streets and drainage in better condition. We’ve got some streets in dire need of repair, and during heavy rains we’ve got some serious drainage problems.
We’ve got a sewer system that’s in terrible shape from the infiltration of runoff water. That needs to be addressed.
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| What is your plan for reacting to the expected Highway 6 bypass? |
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I feel like the people really would like a lessening of traffic, but by the same token your retailers and merchants along the Highway 6 corridor are going to be adversely affected by (the) rerouting of traffic.
What we’ve got to do is just try and eliminate some of the adverse affect from that. Whatever that might be I don’t know, whether trying to get them off the bypass at some point and try to get them in to purchase from the merchants.
It could be a serious cost to the taxpayers. If you’ve noticed, sales tax revenues are down for the last five months. This is going to hit it even harder, even though I think any bypass is years down the road.
It’s going to take a long time to construct and acquire right-of-ways, but it’s still something we’ve definitely got to plan for.
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| You just mentioned the next question, which is the drop in sales tax collections. If that trend continues, what would you do as mayor to address that problem? |
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What we would have to do is look into better cost containment or maybe even the cutting of some services in lieu of raising taxes. Or it would come down to possibly having to raise taxes because certain services can’t be eliminated. Sales tax revenues are probably the biggest revenue generator for the city.
Why are the revenues down? It may just be a sign of the economy, but overall I think statewide that’s not an indicative figure. So I don’t know what’s causing the reduction in sales tax revenues.
Maybe some of our merchants need to re-evaluate where they are. Maybe they don’t have the goods and services the people are wanting right now.
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| Describe your leadership style. |
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I’m more of a hands-on person. I need to learn to delegate more. I don’t need to be totally in control, but I do need to know what’s going on at all times.
In an operation this big, you’ve got to have good people around you and depend on your superintendents and your city clerk, and just be assured that things are taking place and taking place properly.
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| Why do you think you’ll win the Batesville mayor’s race? |
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I feel like the people will look at the qualifications, look at the history of the candidates, and see that I have a tremendous financial background.
That’s what the city needs – someone with a lot of financial and business background that has a proven record of being a successful business person.
I’d like for the people to look at that and say that’s the main criteria for running a multi-million dollar business, which the city is. |
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