Ted Barrett and Eric Mitchell shared a lot in common Wednesday night at the Greenwood Voters League.
Both are independent candidates for Leflore County supervisor who grew up here, work for the Leflore County School District, own small businesses and are making their first forays into politics.
But personally they couldn’t be more different.
Mitchell, who’s running for District 4 supervisor, offered a brash, confident speech that had Voters League members out of their seats cheering.
Barrett, a candidate in District 5, took a more low-key approach and wrapped up his speech in less than half the time it took Mitchell.
They also had differing attitudes toward the current Board of Supervisors.
Barrett, who will face Democrat Robert Collins in the Nov. 8 general election, thanked the board for bringing two health clinics here, Mallory and the Leflore County Health Center.
Mitchell, on the other hand, took some swings at the three-term District 4 incumbent, Board President Wayne Self.
“Residents of Rising Sun and Greenwood, I hear your call, and I feel your pain. Residents of Itta Bena, I know your wants, and I feel your agony,” Mitchell said. “I know 12 years of crying has been long enough.”
Quoting Albert Einstein, Mitchell said problems can’t be solved by using the same kind of thinking used when they were created.
“How can the citizens of District 4 move forward with the same person and his mentality when it was his thinking and his mentality and lacking that’s got us in this predicament?” he said.
Mitchell said his vision includes better roads, cleaner ditches and an improved drainage system. He said he’s begun doing research about whom to contact to receive grant money for such projects.
Also, he said he would meet weekly with employees under his supervision to lay out issues to be addressed. (However, under the county’s unit system, supervisors are not supposed to have direct supervision of employees.)
Mitchell, an Itta Bena resident, graduated from Leflore County High School in 1995 and Jackson State University in 1999 in business administration. He’s been employed for 10 years with the Leflore County schools as a computer technician. He owns the Capricorn Internet Cafe in Itta Bena.
Former Leflore County Judge Solomon Osborne also is seeking the District 4 seat. He is running as a Democrat.
Barrett is a Greenwood native and a 1989 graduate of Amanda Elzy High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Mississippi Valley State University and a master’s from an Atlanta university in education leadership. He’s working on a specialist degree from the University of West Alabama.
Barrett owns Mighty Green Lawn Care and has worked for the Leflore County Schools since 1998 as a teacher and administrative assistant.
“Throughout my 16 years as an educator, my most important achievement has been to help young children in our community become good citizens, prosper, succeed, become future leaders in our community and nation,” he said.
He said he would work with other supervisors to provide additional programs such as bike and walking trails, athletic fields and community gardens and would invest in education, health care, better streets and beautified neighborhoods.
• Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
