I am Hudson Holliday and I am seeking the office of Supervisor, District 3.

I have a continuing interest in the future of Pearl River County. I am a life long resident, married to the former Paulette Kirkland, of the Savannah Community and we have three children and two grandchildren.

I am a graduate of the Poplarville public schools, Pearl River Community College and the University of Southern Mississippi with a BS degree in Business Administration. I am also a graduate of the United States Army War College.

I began my career with the Boeing Company working in Industrial Engineering. Later I managed a timber company before opening Holliday Real Estate in 1975. In addition to my real estate company, I founded and operated a crop dusting business, and a construction company. I co-founded other businesses, to include a ready-mix concrete company, a sheet metal company and a wetland mitigation company. I am a licensed home builder with experience designing and building my own roads, water and sewage systems. I have experience in farming operations and also residential and commercial construction. My work experience is relative because it gives me the knowledge to help find the best, workable solutions for the problems facing the working men and women of this county. Because of my experience, I realize that quick fix decisions made by the supervisors usually have long term consequences and too often negative repercussions.

In addition to my work experience, I have a record of proven leadership abilities. I joined the Mississippi Army National Guard as a private in 1965 and retired in 2004 as a two-star general. In my last command assignment I was responsible for all disaster response for the southern part of the state and had a war time mission for all ground transportation activities in the Pacific Theater. I commanded approximately 3,000 Mississippi soldiers as well as soldiers from 18 other states. I am serving my second consecutive term as chairman of the board of trustees for the 1st United Methodist Church in Poplarville. I serve on the Pearl River County Airport Board and the Hancock Bank Advisory Board.

A good Supervisor needs common sense, managerial skills, knowledge gained through experience, leadership abilities and the ability and willingness to stand up for the people. I believe the facts will show that I have a tract record of success and have demonstrated those qualifications.

My friends ask me why I am running for Supervisor. I am seeking this office because I know we can do much better. Hurricane Katrina brought a lot of hardship and destruction to this county but it also brought great opportunities. I want to see us capitalize on those opportunities while helping people overcome the hardships and destruction. I am confident we can accommodate growth without burdening the people that have lived here for generations or our new neighbors that are moving here. I believe the role of government is to facilitate growth, not try to artificially control it with regulations, permits, fees and higher taxes.

I believe a supervisor should keep the people informed on important and controversial issues, and be willing to listen to the voters concerns. Some of the major issues that concern the voters and me today, which I will address as your supervisor, are: Pearl River County has become the most over regulated county in the entire state. Building codes have gone too far, too fast, with too many inspectors, too many inspections and fees that are too exorbitant. Our property rights continue to be eroded and the cost of home ownership has been substantially increased. The garbage dump was expanded without either explanation or voters’ consent. Regulations have been adopted that would require property owners to obtain approval from the county before giving land to their children or selling part of their property. There has been an explosion in the number of county facilities, departments and public vehicles being used for private purposes. The board continues to allow the Utility Authority to charge fees where no service is rendered, which I contend is illegal. Overall, most voters feel they have no voice in county government and do not trust our current supervisors to make the right decisions.

The choice is clear. You can either vote for the candidate that puts his trust in the people, or you can vote for the candidates that put their trust in government bureaucrats. I trust you. I will stand up for you. If you are sincere about wanting a change, then I earnestly ask for your vote and support. With your help, I will make a difference.