{"id":7007,"date":"2013-06-03T12:45:48","date_gmt":"2013-06-03T17:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=7007"},"modified":"2013-07-06T18:01:02","modified_gmt":"2013-07-06T23:01:02","slug":"city-of-oxford-mississippi-alderman-elections-for-ward-1-and-ward-2-are-tuesday-june-4-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/city-of-oxford-mississippi-alderman-elections-for-ward-1-and-ward-2-are-tuesday-june-4-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Oxford, Mississippi Alderman Elections for Ward 1 and Ward 2 are Tuesday, June 4, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Your vote will decide the next Aldermen of Wards 1 and 2 as well as the next Mayor of Oxford. Parking on the Square, alcohol sales, managing future growth, and tourism were cited at the recent community forum as the major issues of the campaign.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

by Newt Rayburn<\/span><\/p>\n

Running for Alderman in Ward 1 are Jay Hughes<\/strong> and incumbent Ney Williams<\/strong>. In Ward 2, incumbent E.O. Oliver<\/strong> is being challenged by Robyn Tannehill<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

From The Local Voice #181:\u00a0http:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=6933<\/a><\/p>\n

\"TLV-Cover-181-650\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Locations of the Wards<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Click here for a PDF of Oxford’s Wards.<\/a><\/p>\n

Ward 1<\/strong> of Oxford comprises most of the northern part of the city, including North Lamar, the north side of East Jackson Avenue, Sisk Avenue, Park Drive, Chickasaw, Price, most of Molly Barr Road, Highway 30, Highway 7, North 9th Street, East Elm Street, Sively, Vivian, Douglas, Williams, the area around Avent Park, Bramlett Boulevard, East Jefferson, as well as McElroy Drive, parts of College Hill Road, and Highway 314 (better known as Old Sardis Road).<\/p>\n

Ward 2<\/strong> in Oxford consists of southeast part of town, including all of east South Lamar, all the way from the Square to Highway 7, as well as most of the areas inside the city around south Highway 7. Also included is the west and south parts of The Square, a section of south West Jackson Avenue, Van Buren Avenue, Tyler Avenue, South 5th Street, Harrison, Taylor, Pierce, Fillmore, Johnson, Beanland, Garfield, Ross, University Avenue, South 16th, South 18th, McLarty, Belk, Grand Oaks, Peyton Circle, Tanner Drive, Jefferson Davis, Coleman, Office Park Drive, and the areas around there.<\/p>\n


\nWard 1: Jay Hughes <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

vs. Ney Williams<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ward 1 candidate Jay Hughes<\/strong> is a longtime Oxford resident, a husband, father, Attorney, property owner, businessman, and an Army Veteran. Hughes says he is running for alderman because he wants to give back to the community that has provided so much to him. He says that there are three things he would like to bring to the local government: 1) The ability to make a decision without pushing off to committees or commissions, 2) responsible growth, and 3) a better partnership between the City of Oxford, the Oxford School District, and Ole Miss.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPretending that growth is not happening, is not a way of dealing with it,\u201d Hughes said, \u201cIt is part of the problem we are confronted with daily.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning parking, Jay Hughes commented, \u201cThis is a perfect example of why I am running. We have had a problem with parking since I got here in 1987. They talk about it every four years, but nothing constructive has been done other than charging the citizens who pay the taxes to park on the Square.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ward<\/a>
Ward 1 Alderman candidate Jay Hughes with his family.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hughes continued, \u201cOne hundred thousand dollars in consulting fees is another reason why I am running. Anyone can see that we have a parking problem … I will make a clear decision without another parking committee in order to move forward. A parking garage is what we\u2019ve earned, what we deserve, and is what will alleviate those problems for people to come and park on the Square in safety of sun and rain, and have access to the many businesses that help us thrive. I support a parking garage and I think we need to move in a faster and forward direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact is we are growing, we are continuing to grow, and we are going to grow at a very fast pace,\u201d Hughes said about future growth. \u201cWhat I believe we need to do is embrace it and not chase it. There are reasonable steps that can be put in place that can control this growth which is good for a cultural standpoint, our economic standpoint, and our diversity, the things that make us good.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe issue of the night!\u201d proclaimed Jay Hughes, regarding alcohol. \u201cIt\u2019s 2013 and I am genuinely amazed that we are still having this discussion,\u201d which drew a round of applause and laughter from the forum audience. \u201cIt is legal to drink in Oxford. The Board has already decided it\u2019s OK to drink on Sundays. If adults want to drink responsibly, it shouldn\u2019t matter whether the Rebels played football the day before or not.\u201d The forum audience cheered again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs for \u2018cold beer,\u2019\u201d said Hughes, \u201cI have never heard a group of people who weren\u2019t German ask their friends if they wanted to go out and get a \u2018warm beer.\u2019 So I would support \u2018cold beer\u2019 as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Current Ward 1 Alderman Ney Williams<\/strong> is running for reelection. Williams was first elected to the ward\u2019s seat in city government four years ago, after the seat was vacated by Pat Patterson<\/strong>. Ney is a husband and father who attended Ole Miss on a tennis scholarship and received his Bachelor of Arts in Education. Williams worked for several members of the United States Congress for 27 years in Washington, D.C. before returning to Oxford. Williams says he is a full-time, 24-7 Alderman who is fiscally responsible, has worked to maintain Oxford\u2019s infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, bike paths, sewer, water, recycling, and vital city services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll just be succinct on this one\u201d Ney Williams said about the parking issue. \u201cI have a lot of respect for our Parking Commission<\/strong>, who are volunteer people who give a lot of their time and diligently work without pay to find solutions. And I value their input.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ward<\/a>
Ward 1 Aldermand Ney Williams, who is running for reelection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe may very well need a parking garage, but we need spaces now,\u201d continued Williams. \u201cThat\u2019s why we bought the Belk property and we are going to get 100 new spaces as soon as we can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning future growth, Williams said, \u201cOur wonderful town is a popular destination point. Many visit and want to live here and enjoy its amenities. So Oxford must have the city services to manage this. We do. We are going to work, and I am going to work to continue to keep Oxford as one of America\u2019s greatest and most charming small towns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning alcohol, Williams said he likes \u2018cold beer,\u2019 but the issue never came up in the last term of office. (Although this statement seems odd, because the issue of \u2018cold beer\u2019 has been a hot topic at least since the 80s in Oxford and it comes up every four years at election time.)<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning extended hours at bars, Williams says, \u201cMy no votes reflect the will of the constituents who oppose this, and I think there is a significant majority of them. And by the way, my dad said, \u2018Son, nothing good happens after midnight.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning extending Sunday Sales, Ney admitted, \u201cIt is my understanding that there have been few problems, but I just don\u2019t think we need to take it any further at this time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n


\nWard 2: Robyn Tannehill <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

vs. E.O. Oliver<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ward 2 incumbent Alderman E.O. Oliver<\/strong> is a fourth generation Oxfordian, and graduate of the city schools and Ole Miss. Oliver has been a resident of Oxford for over fifty years and has been Alderman of Ward 2 for the last sixteen years. Oliver was a director of the Ole Miss Bookstore<\/strong>, an owner of the Oliver-Britt House Bed & Breakfast<\/strong>, and is currently an accountant and auditor at North Mississippi Regional Center<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

About his public service, Alderman Oliver said, \u201cI participated in the formation of the 2020 plan and its implantation, supported the economic development that has produced jobs and investment by Winchester<\/strong>, FNC<\/strong>, Baptist Hospital<\/strong>, and others, and have championed the growth and development of tourism as evidenced by the Oxford Conference Center. I champion quality of life issues, including parks and recreation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ward<\/a>
Ward 2 Alderman E.O. Oliver, who is running for reelection.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Concerning parking, Oliver said, \u201cOver the years, I\u2019ve seen a lot of different ways we\u2019ve tried to handle parking. We\u2019ve had meters, no meters. We\u2019ve grown. Everybody wants to come to Oxford. The problem is parking on the Square. We established a commission to look at it … We\u2019ve created 100 or so parking spaces on a temporary basis. But the subject of a parking garage \u2026 you have to fund that somehow. I don\u2019t know if the citizens or businesses are ready to fund something of that nature.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Oliver went on to say, \u201cEverybody loves downtown, loves the Square and we\u2019re trying to make it as pleasant as possible. It\u2019s one of the things [parking]<\/em> we get criticized for by the tourists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs far as controlling growth, I don\u2019t know how we control growth,\u201d commented Oliver. \u201cWhat we can do is provide the services necessary. That\u2019s the way I look at it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning Sunday Sales, Oliver said, \u201cObviously, it has worked and we\u2019ve had few complaints. Obviously, there are a lot of people for this. I think we ought to consider a referendum\u2026if it\u2019s seven days a week, whatever. I think that\u2019s the best way to handle this thing.\u201d
\n<\/span>
\nWard 2 challenger Robyn Tannehill<\/strong> came to Oxford in 1988 as a student and \u201cnever left.\u201d Tannehill has worked in many different capacities in Oxford, including being a University employee, Assistant Director of the Chamber of Commerce<\/strong>, a City employee, and Executive Director of the Oxford Tourism Council<\/strong>, where she helped to create and facilitate the first Double Decker Arts Festival<\/strong> in 1995.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tannehill is a founding member of a church and a business in Oxford, the Tannehill Agency<\/strong>, a full service marketing and public relations firm that she later sold. Robyn was also named \u201cMississippi Businesswoman of the Year.\u201d She is a mother of three and married to attorney Rhea Tannehill.<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning parking, Tannehill said, \u201cI think everybody agrees we have a parking problem and most would agree that a parking garage is both necessary and immanent. [The issue]<\/em> then becomes, where do you put it and how do you pay for it? I think the current parking program that we have in place is a band aid for the problem. It may ease some of the woes we have, but it is not solving our ultimate parking problems that have to be addressed at some point in the very near future.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ward<\/a>
Ward 2 Alderman candidate Robyn Tannehill.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tannehill continued, \u201cWe are inviting visitors to come, to shop downtown, to park and spend time there and we need to make arrangements for them to be able to do that comfortably. I think the businesses and the citizens are very interested in the Board of Aldermen coming up with a creative way to build this [parking garage] that is very pleasing to the eye and is not some terrible eye sore. I think there are lots of different ways to fund this without it being a burden to the citizens.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning future growth, Tannehill said, \u201cI feel like \u2018growth\u2019 has kind of gotten such a negative rap lately. It doesn\u2019t have to be that way. If we would plan ahead and embrace this growth, Oxford is really blessed. Communities don\u2019t remain in place. They are either going backwards or moving forward. A lot of towns are dying on the vine right now. We know that growth is coming, growth is inevitable, and that is what your local government is there to do, to provide the necessary infrastructure and planning as we move forward into the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerning alcohol issues, Robyn Tannehill said, \u201cOxford is a tourism destination. We have promoted ourselves as a place to shop, dine, [experience] great cultural events and our literary culture, come to play in weekend long tournaments at FNC park, and to enjoy yourself for a three-day getaway. [But] we are not a three-day getaway, because most of Oxford is closed on the third day. If Sunday Sales were allowed, then restaurants would be open and it would allow us to meet the expectations of these visitors that we\u2019ve invited to Oxford, as well as capitalize on having these people in town on Sundays.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSunday Sales means more restaurants open, giving visitors and residents more options,\u201d Tannehill continued. \u201cI believe that if the restaurants are consistently open, we\u2019ll see more shops opening on Sunday as well. As an Alderman of Ward 2, I want to protect all of the interests of citizens, families, retirees, and business owners. But ultimately for Oxford, I come down on the side of Sunday Sales. I believe at the end of the day people make their own decision whether or not to have a drink on Sunday. I think from an economic perspective, it is the next step in a positive direction for Oxford. And I also believe in \u2018cold beer.\u2019\u201d Tannehill\u2019s statement drew applause from the forum audience.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local elections for the City of Oxford will take place on Tuesday, June 4, 2013<\/strong> from 7 am to 7 pm<\/strong> at the Oxford Conference Center<\/strong> on Sisk Avenue. All citizens who are registered to vote in the city limits of Oxford may cast a ballot for Mayor. Only those who are registered in Wards 1 and 2 will be able to cast a ballot for Aldermen running in these wards.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your vote will decide the next Aldermen of Wards 1 and 2 as well as the next Mayor<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,307],"tags":[1450,1439,1447,7083,5,1438,4,1448],"class_list":["post-7007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-government","category-local-people","tag-board-of-alderman","tag-ernest-e-o-oliver","tag-jay-hughes","tag-local-elections","tag-mississippi","tag-ney-williams","tag-oxford","tag-robyn-tannehill"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/05\/TLV-Cover-181-650.jpg?fit=650%2C390&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6937"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}