I, Vernon Culpepper, would like to announce my candidacy for District 1 Supervisor of Pearl River County because I believe we are in need of fresh new leadership.

First, and foremost, I want to say I am committed to the people of this county because it has been the lifelong home of both myself and my wife, Kelvie Peterson. More importantly, it is also home to our three children—JayLee, 7; Clayton, 5; and Vance, 3—and I want the chance to lead this county in a direction that will positively impact all of our futures and help make our home county a place that will cause our children to want to keep this their home as well when they become adults.

Having worked in the fields of farming and construction most of my life, I know the value of both hard work and a hard-earned dollar. Also, having been self-employed for 12 years in the construction industry and licensed in Mississippi as a residential contractor, I see firsthand what it means for a person to be able to build a home.

Since most of my work is in Pearl River County, I have seen how some of the decisions made by this current board have adversely impacted the people of this county.

If elected supervisor, I would like to address several issues in particular. First, I would like to see a compromise with the new building codes. These codes, as most of you know, are some of the most stringent in the entire United States. They have caused extra financial burden at a time when the people of our county actually needed a break.

I am not against building codes. I am a builder and see the value of appropriate and reasonable codes to protect both the individual and the individual’s investment. I am not in favor, however, of heaping unnecessary regulations upon our citizens without their consent.

Second and third on my list, I am not in favor of expanding the dump to bring in out-of-state waste and causing untold environmental problems for our children and grandchildren. I also would like to take a different approach to repairing our roads. The loose gravel poses hazards and is primarily a temporary fix to problems. These temporary repairs damage the vehicles of our citizens in too many instances.

Fourth, I would like to open the lines of communication between District 1 voters and their supervisors. I want input and advice from you, the citizen, as to what our county needs are. I also think it is time to bring Pearl River county into the 21st Century by utilizing our greatest communication tool-the internet. I would like to see website publications of board agendas to keep voters informed of meetings and projects in the county.

Fifth, I want to address county spending and try to make better use of our resources. One way to curb spending is to keep closer tabs on unnecessary county vehicle use, which can be very costly in this time of high gas prices.

On a more personal note, I am a Christian and attend Steep Hollow Baptist Church where I serve as a Sunday School teacher for high school boys and a youth retreat counselor in addition to assisting in other youth activities and serving on the nominating committee.

Because of my involvement specifically with these young men and women, I hold very strong convictions about maintaining high standards of integrity and leading by example. I also have three other reasons to always do the right thing—JayLee, Clayton and Vance. I want to lead my children and my county in the right direction and to never give them reason to hang their heads in embarrassment over my decisions. Most importantly, I have a great deal invested in following Christ, above all, and would never want to bring reproach upon His name. For all of these reasons, I will be accountable to my voters, and I pledge to you that if you choose to elect me as your supervisor I will work hard to serve you.

During these weeks of campaigning I have enjoyed getting out and meeting the people of our district in person. If I have missed you, I apologize. Hopefully in the near future we will meet.

I could continue to talk about what I would do if elected, but I’ve always been one who has firmly believed that mere talk leads only to poverty. Actions speak louder than words. I would like the chance to prove to you I will act on your behalf.

On Tuesday, Nov. 6, please vote for me, Vernon Culpepper. I pledge to you I will go to work for the people of District 1 and will do my best to ensure your vote of confidence is not misplaced.