Frank Melton (D) - Mayor of Jackson, Miss.
(Photo by Adam Lynch)
JFP Stories/Blogs about Mayor Frank Melton, who took office July 4, 2005
Focus on the 'Mayor Stuff' – September 15, 2005
'Destroyed' by the Curfew' – September 15, 2005
'This Don't Make No Sense' – September 7, 2005
Melton Tells Judge: 'It Was a Lie' – August 23, 2005
Melton Contradicts Own Budget Request – August 19, 2005
Guilty By Default? – August 17, 2005
Dealing With the Bad Guys – August 10, 2005
Grand Hotel: Does the King Edward Have A Glorious Future? – August 3, 2005
Editor's Note: Take the Time to Do It Right – August 3, 2005
Melton Wants All JPS Students Drug-Tested – August 3, 2005
Sex Shop Shenanigans – August 3, 2005
Crime Plan Faces Reality Check – August 3, 2005
Mayor Tries to Clean House – August 3, 2005
Frank Melton Demands Resignations from Board Members – July 27, 2005 (Includes PDF)
Mayor Rebuked; Club Re-opens – July 27, 2005
The Maple Street Scramble – July 27, 2005
Frank Melton v. King Edward – July 23, 2005
Turnabout: Melton Changes Story About Leak – July 20, 2005 (Includes PDFs)
Music Street: Melton's Farish Street Studio – July 13, 2005
Melton Blazes Into Week 1 – July 13, 2005
It's Melton Time: What's Next for Jackson? – June 29, 2005
Editorial: If Melton's 'Pro-Jackson,' Then We're 'Pro-Melton' – June 29, 2005
JFP Coverage of Frank Melton's Campaign, February – June 2005
See links to all stories in the 2005 City Elections Blog
Select JFP Stories:
JFP Profile of Frank Melton – April 29, 2005
Editor's Note: Houston, We Have A Problem – April 20, 2005
"Frank Melton to North Jackson: 'It's Over!'" Jackson Free Press, March 23, 2005
"The House That Time Forgot," Jackson Free Press, Feb. 23, 2005
"Mayor Announces, Melton Pounces," Jackson Free Press, Feb. 16, 2005
Frank Melton's Campaign Web site.
Bio
Frank Melton is a native of Houston, Texas, who has spent much time in Jackson over the last 21 years. The former CEO of WLBT-TV in Jackson, he is now chairman and chief executive officer of the TV-3 Inc. Foundation in Jackson. His wife, Ellen, is a pediatrician in Tyler, Texas, where she lives. Melton's biological children, Matthew and Lauren, also live in Texas. He has several adopted children, both in Mississippi and in Texas. In Jackson, he lives in North Jackson. He is running as a Democrat for mayor. His only experience as a public servant was his short tenure as head of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. Read Melton's full bio here.
Platform
Melton is running his campaign based on six of what he calls "Leadership Issues." They are:
• Major Crime Reduction
• Jobs and Economic Development
• Streets and Infrastructure
• Housing and Urban Decay
• Education and Youth Development
• Cooperation with Local, County and State officials
On Wednesday, March 23, Melton released details of his platform at City Hall. It follows verbatim:
PUBLIC SAFETY/CRIME
Nothing is more important to a city than the safety and well being of its citizens. All citizens deserve to feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods, schools, parks, churches, shopping centers and on our streets. Unfortunately, too many of us do not feel that way about our capital city. The truth is that we are at risk every day of becoming a victim of crime--just another statistic in a police report. Artificial statistics showing a reduction in crime provide little comfort when you or someone you know has been victimized by violence, car theft, burglary of a home or office or worse. Many of these crimes are committed over and over again by the same felons released into the public and untracked. This must stop! True crime reduction is difficult to achieve, but it can be done. However, it must start with leadership. It has been ineffective leadership and procrastination that resulted in the Police Department being without permanent leadership for months on end; the absence of any well thought out crime fighting plan; the lack of a coordinated strategy to work with other agencies and a stubborn refusal to acknowledge that crime is “real,” not a “perception.”
The question I ask is this: “Do you feel safer now than you did eight years ago?” If you are like the majority of us the answer is “NO!” We all know and understand that this fear of crime directly affects our quality of life; hampers our ability to attract new businesses; increases the flight of residents and businesses to safer communities and results in the loss of jobs and revenue to support basic city services. The lifeblood of the city is literally being sucked out by these conditions. My plan for providing public safety and fighting crime starts with a basic premise: Crime is a REAL problem and something CAN be done about it. I plan to ensure that the Police Department has in place professional, knowledgeable and committed leadership and that they have the necessary support and resources to accomplish the goal of true crime reduction. The department is “brass weary,” that is, it is top heavy with too many “chiefs” and “commanders.” The bulk of personnel of any police department should be allocated to the streets and neighborhoods, interacting with our citizens and confronting crime, not the confines of police headquarters, behind a desk. I intend to see that the highest priority is placed on propallocating police resources where they will be most effective.
Much lip service has been given to “community policing,” but the truth is the Police Department has not engaged in or practiced community policing at all. It has been used as a buzzword to give the false sense that something is being done about crime when in fact the same reactive style of policing continues. Statistics aside, Jackson remains one of the most dangerous cities in the country and continues to rank in the top fifteen (15) cities with the highest crime rates. Effective policing means being proactive; not reacting to conditions only when they have become intolerable or beyond help. Too many areas of our city have experienced too much crime and conditions have been permitted to deteriorate to the point where we are losing businesses and people. I will insist that the police department be proactive in addressing crime and hold the police leadership accountable for doing so. Crime prevention must begin with engaging in a true partnership with the community where citizens trust and assist the police and where the police embrace and serve the citizens. This is true “community policing.” Cooperation among and between all segments of the criminal justice system is essential to the successful reduction of crime. Currently, there is very little communication taking place between the police department and those other segments. “Turf” battles are still all too common. The police department does not share radio communications or criminal information systems with any other agency as needed. I will forge alliances with all of the metro law enforcement agencies and ensure that all of our resources are pooled where appropriate to attack crime. Citizens suffer and criminals profit when we fail to cooperate and coordinate our resources for the maximum benefit of all. Crime is harming our capital city and its citizens. I intend to have this city live up to its responsibility of protecting its citizens.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A thriving business community is the economic foundation of all great cities. Our location, designation (capital) and size mean that we can be a great city. The Mayor of Jackson must play a leading role in the economic development of this City. That role should be to support these efforts through the provision of city services and working with the Chamber of Commerce, state Development Authority, small business associations, etc. acting as a conduit in support of all efforts to attract new business. A strong team of city and business leaders must work expeditiously on our economic development. Economic development in the true sense involves the attraction of private ventures, boosting the local economy, providing jobs and enhancing the tax base. While numerous construction projects are underway in the downtown area, it is not true economic development when tax dollars are used as opposed to private dollars to build buildings that will not even be taxed. The incentives for new development are based on attention to those details that promote the investment of new dollars: low taxes, low crime rate, quality schools and a strong capable work force. If we can provide the foundation for economic growth, we benefit in every facet of our city.
Businesses are relocating and leaving Jackson in record numbers while the surrounding areas are experiencing an economic boom. Existing businesses must also be strongly supported. Their frustrations have been heard. We must begin to protect these businesses by redirecting our forces and proving to them that they and their customers are appreciated by the City of Jackson. They can regenerate their business if we reassess our priorities. Note: Presently tax incentives are available to new and expanded industry. We can better market their availability and others that are not being utilized in slum/blighted areas.
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Home ownership is the cornerstone of personal wealth for many Jackson families. However, this goal still remains a dream for a great number of families. There are several non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, The Housing Partnership, Voice of Calvary and the West Jackson CDC promoting home ownership opportunities. We must provide them the support they need to expand their efforts. The City of Jackson was once the state leader in housing rehabilitation efforts. Stabilizing and rehabilitating homes improves the living conditions of families, supports and enhances our neighborhoods, and ultimately, our city. We can no longer afford to wait until its time for demolition, before actively arresting housing deterioration. The value of each property strengthens our tax base and improves our neighborhoods. It does not strengthen our neighborhoods to board up houses without plans for replacements. (Note: The city has not had a housing rehabilitation program for eight years; instead, it uses its Federal Community Development Block Grant dollars (CDBG) for demolition and other Mayoral priorities.)
Jackson’s population decrease indicates the number of families that have chosen not to continue to endure the erosion of their quality of life. As a result they have moved to other cities to avoid this deterioration. It is time for a change. We cannot continue to do the same thing without getting the same results.
STREETS AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Water has now become one of the highest priced utilities in our city. The most recent increase of 24% for water rates and 3% for sewer rates was implemented to pay for state mandated repairs and expansion of the City of Jackson’s water treatment plant. Under the existing leadership your water bills were also raised 50% and sewer rates by 34% in 2001. This increase was for infrastructure repairs. The failure to maintain these lines over the years means that we are faced with the threat of huge EPA fines that could have been avoided if more attention had been paid before they reached crisis proportions. It’s now a must-do situation that unfairly taxes the budgets of Jackson home and business owners. A 74% hike on your water bill and 37% for sewer rates is unconscionable for our citizens to pay, particularly our elderly. In the midst of all these rate hikes the City of Jackson revoked the exemption for garbage pick-up fees previously granted to the elderly and disabled. (They stated it was no longer legal.) Further, residents are forced to purchase safe drinking water to avoid illness due to contamination that frequently occurs in Jackson’s water system. The city’s lack of leadership and planning has placed us in this position. It is time for new leadership!
Further, a great many of our citizens are frustrated by the conditions of the streets in our neighborhoods and on our major thoroughfares. Routine maintenance is very much a priority if you want to avoid costly auto repairs. The daily commutes are a duck and dodge game, requiring 20/20 vision and agility in steering. We can do better----and we must. Many of our neighborhoods are devastated by flooding each time we experience a heavy rain. Routine maintenance could prevent many of these problems. If we take care of the little things, we can use our time and resources in addressing the bigger issues. (Note: Hinds County has offered to help with street resurfacing but to no avail. The city has continuously refused to accept such assistance.)
EDUCATION
Every child is entitled to a good public education. Our schools are the bedrock of our community because we rely on them to prepare our children to be the leaders of tomorrow. It is one of the strong points in attracting families and new businesses to Jackson. We must develop programs to make use of our school facilities to strengthen our neighborhoods by using them for after school programs and serving as the neighborhood civic centers. We must support our schools and help school administrators to raise the level of all schools to a level four or five. Our plan is to solicit the resources of all of our social, religious and civic groups to enhance the learning experience of our children. We will rely on the experience and leadership of our retirees and seniors in developing an action plan that uses volunteers as the foundation for achieving this mission. Our parents must be active participants and supporters in our thumbs-up initiative.
COOPERATION WITH LOCAL, COUNTY AND STATE OFFICIALS
Jackson is still in Hinds County and I will work with the board of supervisors, district attorney, and sheriff to coordinate mutual areas of concern. Cooperation is not a new invention! Where we have common needs, common problems and common goals, we will use common solutions.
BLIPS
The “buddy plan” contract bidding and award process is disgraceful. Tax dollars belong to the citizens, to be administered by the Mayor and City Council, in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. The current practice falls extremely short in the allocation of bids, projects, contracts, etc. We don’t have to reinvent the wheel--we only have to do it right. Millions of tax payers dollars have been lost due to missed deadlines and ineffective counsel in the City of Jackson’s legal department. As a businessman, I will run your business effectively and efficiently. When a department has high turnover, an excessive rate of losses, missed deadlines, attorneys trying cases for the first time on behalf of the citizens of Jackson, attorneys leaving for no job or pay cuts, a change in leadership is obvious. This should not be about attorneys giving you the advice you want to hear but effective and efficient legal representation for your municipal corporation. The millions of dollars that have been lost through lawsuits under this Administration would have covered any tax increase put into effect. City Employees’ annual performance pay increase plan was frozen, yet the elected officials found the necessary funds to raise their own rate of pay. Further, the Administration finds funds to give pay raises to the particular individuals they want to give raises or promotions to in an arbitrary manner, while the majority must wait for consideration of an annual scintilla, if any.
The City of Jackson increased the costs of health care for its employees and retirees. This is unacceptable. Affordable health care is a must for city employees. The city, just as any business, must respect its workers. I realize that public service is a noble calling and those whoperforming on the front-lines must be treated with dignity and respect.
CONTACT INFO
555 Tombigbee Street, 2nd Floor
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 965-1309 (o) (601) 965-1312 (f)
COMMENTS
Still no specifics on crime prevention, which I would consider Melton's main selling point. Yes, community policing has largely failed, but would a new mayor--or new police chief--fix anything? Community policing has to begin at the grass roots; it can't be legislated into reality. Does Melton have more relevant experience pertaining to community policing than Johnson? I'd say yes. But what difference does that make if he doesn't have any new, specific plans to present on the issue?
The problem recurs with the other issues described here. Melton's position seems to be "Johnson has failed in these areas--elect me!" And Johnson has failed in some areas (though whether that's his fault is debatable). But Melton has given me no reason to believe that he would not also fail. We need specifics!
Cheers,
TH
   Posted by: Tom Head on Mar 24, 05 | 7:35 pm
Tom, he does talk about the need to help inner-city kids, to keep them into church programs and after-school programs and such to keep them out of trouble. This sounds really good, of course, but what I haven't seen, yet, is HOW he's going to do this. What is the program? What is the budget? What will he do different than the mayor? I've seen Johnson talk to groups of kids, too, and they seem to love him and respond to him. So what is different about Melton's ideas? Inquiring minds want to know.
Posted by: ladd on Mar 24, 05 | 8:04 pm
Hmmm, I just noticed this sentence.
Statistics aside, Jackson remains one of the most dangerous cities in the country and continues to rank in the top fifteen (15) cities with the highest crime rates.
How can you put the "statistics aside," and then assert that we're one of the most dangerous cities and "rank" in the top 15 cities with the highest crime rates? What are you basing it on -- if not statistics? That statement needs an editor.
And the numbers he quoting, without attribution, sound like they need a jump to Truth Watch. Hold on for the jump into hyperspace:
Truth Watch 16: Melton's Crime Numbers
Posted by: ladd on Mar 24, 05 | 8:15 pm
Right--he's selling the sizzle, not the steak. Kids in afterschool programs, communities and police working together, swords into plowshares, lions and lambs making whoopee--sure. But he's looking at becoming mayor, not omnipotent deity. I mean, I'm sure Johnson can name just as many wonderful things he'd love to see happen one day if he wakes up able to fly and shoot lightning bolts from his fingertips, but where's the political platform here?
Cheers,
TH
Posted by: Tom Head on Mar 24, 05 | 9:26 pm
There's a very interesting Truth Watch thread about who is endorsing Frank Melton in this campaign, and a partial list of supporters giving Melton a party this week on this blog, many of whom are staunch Republicans.
My question for the Jackson blogosphere: Why are so many staunch Republicans supporting Melton, and how is this going to play with staunch black Democrats? Also, someone said to me this week that Republicans may be surprised when Melton is elected because he is a "loose cannon," as Wyatt Emmerich calls him. Thoughts?
Posted by: ladd on Apr 03, 05 | 3:27 pm
There is a lot of misinformation floating around Jackson about a negligence lawsuit filed by the parents of 9-year-old Perrize Washington, who died in a tragic swimming accident at the Farish Street YMCA. It is vital to know that the boy was a very young boy and not a teenager as rumors out there are saying. Court TV covered the case, and you can read more about it here to clear up any misconceptions.
Posted by: ladd on May 04, 05 | 8:04 pm
Here's a http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8077998/ ">quick recap of Melton being caught this week using the fire hydrants to fill up polls, reprinted on the MSNBC's Web site. One question: Isn't the Y kinda a well-to-do nonprofit organization? Is there a problem affording to pay for water? This one's odd to me.
Posted by: ladd on Jun 05, 05 | 2:04 pm
... fill up POOLs, of course ...
Posted by: ladd on Jun 05, 05 | 2:04 pm
Glad to know this, Donna; I'd hate to think that the new water level was a triple-digit increase.
BTW- Who do you reckon you're voting for on Tuesday...?
Cheers,
TH
Posted by: Tom Head on Jun 05, 05 | 3:19 pm
I'm voting for Whitlow. From an ideological standpoint, I don't get any sense that he is any more "Republican" than Mr. Melton, and perhaps less so when it really comes down to it. He seems willing to do homework and try to learn more about issues. I really like his comments about downtown (as in the Planet Weekly interview this week), and I'm all over his plans for racial reconciliation. I don't like his views on "No Child Left Behind," but I don't think he will be in a position to do too much harm on the education front, and I can actually seeing him doing better than his platform indicates.
As for Mr. Melton, my concerns about him are pretty known by this point, and he has, to date, done very little to assauge these concerns. He has made some attempt recently, one on one, to talk to me (after I chased him down after a meeting as he walked away from me), but then did not return my phone calls to have a substantive conversation about issues in time for this issue. I simply cannot cast a vote for him with a good conscience. There are too many uncertainties that have not been addressed, whether through his own fault or that of the lamestream media.
However, if Mr. Melton wins, I hope that he proves to be the best of what he has indicated he could be as mayor, and not the worstóand if he proves the best, we will praise him for it and support him for re-election. And I certainly hope he does not try to continue the cat-and-mouse media gave with us for four years.
But, this Tuesday, I am voting for Rick Whitlow, as apparently are the majority of people who work for the JFP. As you can see, we stopped short of endorsing him as a paper, but most of us believe, based on the campaigns, that he is the better choice of the two men. With his energy, enthusiasm and poise, he could well prove to be a good mayor. The learning curve will be a bit steep, but it will be with Mr. Melton as well. Contrary to what The Ledge said today, Melton has very little experience that qualifies him for a position such as this. Neither does Whitlow, so that part cancels out. So you have to look to other criteria to make a decision.
Posted by: ladd on Jun 05, 05 | 3:59 pm
One more thing: I am also VERY concerned about the costs of the programs that Mr. Melton has proposed, and how they are going to be paid forófrom the recording studio to rebuilding low-income housing. I don't buy the "federal grants" answer he gives, and haven't seen any indication that those grants are sitting there waiting to be grabbed up. The Republican part of Whitlow that I like is the fiscally responsible voice that he seems to represent, rather than the expensive promises from Mr. Melton that are going to disappoint so many people if they don't work out. I don't want to be promised the moon if (a) taxpayers are going to have to pay for it and (b) without a plan showing me just how we are going to pay for the moon.
I would love to hear Mr. Melton say that he himself plans to raise investment for a recording studio and build it, but I get real nervous about the city promising to get into the recording business. For one thing, I don't know that the city will be successful in the recording business and for another, I do not believe that local governments should get into local businesses of any sort that compete with existing private businesses. I did a whole series of articles in Colorado Springs about the city utility trying to get into the Internet business, among others, and how unfair that was to local businesses. The city wasn't happy, but so what? They were overstepping their role.
That said, some sort of incentive package offered to businesses that will help young people could make a lot of sense to me, but I haven't been shown any sort of specifics on such a plan.
Posted by: ladd on Jun 05, 05 | 4:10 pm
That being said [about Whitlow], then why did you, "as a paper", NOT endorse him?
For one, I'm not "the paper." Secondly, we explain it in our editorial this week. We don't believe a paper should "endorse" a candidate you do not know enough about to intelligently endorseóand these terrible campaigns, and the bad coverage, did not reveal enough information, despite some of us trying pretty damn hard.
I, however, was answering Tom Head's question about how *I* plan to vote for and why. There is a difference as most any newspaper editor or publisher in the country could tell you.
Posted by: ladd on Jun 05, 05 | 6:37 pm
Thanks for this, Donna. I bet if someone told you a year ago that you'd end up voting Republican in the mayor's race, you wouldn't believe it! But FWIW, I know what you mean, and you're not the only ex-Johnson supporter to vote Whitlow. Who is an incredible candidate, IMHO, and will make a fine mayor if elected; the primary vote was an easy decision, but the general election vote is much harder for me, and I really could have gone either.
I'm voting for Melton just because of the X factor--my gut told me to vote Melton because he's finally running for mayor doggonit, but Harvey Johnson is such a wonderful mayor that I couldn't vote against him in favor of an unknown quantity with a fuzzy platform. But since that time it has become clear to me that no first-term mayor has come into the office with a clear platform and implemented it (e.g., Johnson was going to reboot city government but wound up supporting many of Ditto's old programs after all, once he'd been in the office a few months). Bearing that fact in mind, Melton's decision not to show his cards--to talk only of goals, and say very little about how he intends to reach them--looks like a natural decision for a challenger to make, if he'll end up changing gears when he's in office anyway (and be accused of flip-flopping as a result). So while his vagueness is still a liability, it makes more sense to me than it did a month ago.
Plus there are a lot of people who endorse Melton whose opinions I really respect. Jeff Good is a hell of a human being, and he would not be up there cheerleading for Melton out of any vague or personal anti-Johnson sentiment. Wydette Hawkins would very probably have my vote if he ran for mayor, so his endorsement is a serious feather in Melton's cap. As a union boy, I have to take the AFL-CIO's decision into account.
But when it boils down to it, Melton captured his appeal in what was basically his slogan: "You know me." I really feel like I do know Melton, as a public figure; whether this is because of his money and influence and charisma or because he really does call it as he sees it isn't clear, but this is a guy who believes in the city and has done some amazing volunteer work and put himself on the line in a way that a man of his income level would never have to. He lives behind two gates, then goes out into the worst neighborhoods of Jackson and calls kids by their first name. I can't say I'd mind seeing that guy as mayor, on principle.
It'll be an interesting four years, and I may live to regret my vote. But I reckon Tuesday, I'll end up voting for the guy I predicted would get crushed in the primary with the "worst campaign since Possum James." An exercise in humility, if nothing else.
Cheers,
TH
Posted by: Tom Head on Jun 05, 05 | 7:50 pm
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