Leflore County Chancery Clerk Sam Abraham says the 2011 election will decide the future of Leflore County.
“I think the opportunity in this election is to choose the path we want to go in,” he told the Kiwanis Club Thursday. “We can go back to where we were or move forward.”
Abraham is running for his fifth term unopposed.
“I feel very fortunate,” he said. “I thank God because I believe God is the only one who could have saved me from getting an opponent.”
Abraham joked that he was unopposed because he is “a non-controversial person.”
He lamented the retirement of Circuit Clerk Trey Evans, saying, “I hate that Trey left. Trey has been a good circuit clerk. ... it really hurts to lose a person of his caliber.”
Seven candidates qualified to run for circuit clerk in the upcoming election.
Abraham declined to make an endorsement in the circuit clerk race. He claimed that someone — “I’m not going to tell you who” —came to his office with two petitions, one to run for chancery clerk and one to run for circuit clerk.
He said the man asked, “‘Which office do you want me to run for?’ I said, ‘I really don’t care for you to run for chancery clerk.’
“He said, ‘If you’ll stay out of my race, I’ll run for circuit clerk.’ I said, ‘Man, you’re going to think I moved out of town.’
“I made that commitment. As long as that fellow is there, I can’t do anything,” Abraham joked.
Although he declined to endorse a candidate, Abraham said, “I think you’ve got a lot of good people running for it. I think you’ll be able to pick out the ones you want.”
Abraham discussed a number of subjects, including:
nGreenwood-Leflore County cooperation: “The county and the city are finally for the first time since I’ve been there, they are finally working hand in hand together.
“... Things are looking good for Leflore County and the City of Greenwood. I think we have a bright future.”
nCounty finances: “Leflore County now is probably in the best financial shape since I’ve been there.”
Abraham said the county had a reserve of $300,000 and had upgraded its bond rating.
He said the only tax increase in the past year was for the county school district. State law allows school districts to ask for and receive an increase of up to 4 percent a year. “It’s a situation we have no control over,” he said of the Board of Supervisors.
Abraham said the board didn’t want to increase taxes but might have to in the future. He said federal and state budget cutbacks have placed an increasing burden on counties and cities to provide services such as law enforcement and health care.
Abraham said he’s worried about how much more taxpayers can afford.
“At some point the tax burden on the citizen gets to a point where it starts hurting,” he said. “And I think it’s gotten to that point here in Leflore County.”
nIndustrial development: Abraham said he and other area political and economic development officials recently met with U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson on the proposed revival of the Greenville-to-Columbus railroad.
“The county that has more to gain than anybody is Leflore,” because then the east-west and north-south rail lines would intersect in the industrial park, he said.
“If that opens up and you were to get a major distribution center in our industrial park, then you would see a lot of growth around here,” he said.
• Contact Charles Corder at ccorder@gwcommonwealth.com.
