Oxford Ward 1 Alderman Candidates Addy, Crews Q&A

The Oxford municipal Democratic primary will be held on Tuesday, April 6. Oxford residents in Wards 1, 3 and 5 can vote from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Oxford Conference Center for their preferred Democratic candidate for the Oxford Board of Aldermen in their respective wards.

This week, Hotty Toddy News will be running Q&As with the candidates from each of the three wards that have candidates facing off in the primary election.

Today, we hear from Ward 1 candidates, incumbent Rick Addy and Billy Crews. With no Republican candidate, the Ward 1 race will be decided on April 6.

Candidates are listed in alphabetical order for fairness.

Name: Rick Addy

Age: 57

Party: Democrat

Occupation: Small Business Owner/Photographer

Why did you decide to run for office?

Growing up here in Oxford I felt the need to help Oxford grow in a constructive way without losing the small-town charm we all love. With the growth throughout the city but particularly in Ward One, I became interested in helping manage the growth and work toward the success of our future community.

I bring my success as a longtime business owner in Oxford and as a father, husband, and friend to many Oxonians.

What do you bring to the table for this position?

I bring experience working with other governmental entities to make our community a better place to live, work, and play as well as my commitment to work tirelessly for the citizens of Oxford and my friends and neighbors in Ward 1.

What do you feel is the biggest issue city leaders are facing and your thoughts on how to improve it?

The biggest issue facing Oxford is infrastructure. We continue to petition Jackson for money so that we don’t have to raise taxes and we have had success working with our state, but there is still work to be done. Some of the infrastructure projects I’ve worked on and we’ve completed in the past five years are the roundabouts at Highway 7 and Sisk, Pat Patterson Parkway and Sheriff Buddy East Parkway. Other major projects to be proud of would be the Coach Howell Activities Center, Oxford’s Vision 2037 plan, and the Transportation plan completed with the city, county and University participation.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

If granted a $1 million grant it should be purposed with the goal of the safety, connectivity and health of Oxonians. Our number one project at this time is the intersection at Highway 7 and University Avenue. Unfortunately, one million dollars doesn’t go far, as this project is budgeted for $8 million. My second objective would be for connectivity throughout Oxford with our sidewalks. We have made great progress these last five years, with Bramlett Boulevard extension, East Jackson Avenue, and the sidewalks along with the roundabouts on Sisk. We need to continue with the walkability throughout our community.

Name: Billy Crews

Age: 64

Party: Democratic

Family/Spouse/Kids: My wife Catherine and I have three adult children and five grandchildren

Profession: Retired CEO of Journal Publishing Company and publisher of the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal; currently work half-time at the UM School of Education

Why did you decide to run for office? 

Oxford deserves honest, decisive and open leadership. As I have knocked on 1,000 doors in Ward 1, I have met outstanding citizens whom we need to engage and include in improving our community. Local government is not just about budgets and policies; it is about civic engagement and our community spirit. I grew up in Oxford, graduated from high school and college here, serving as president of the student body at OHS and president of the student body at the University of Mississippi.

What do you bring to the table for this position? 

Public service always has been a way of life for me. I have 30 years of community development experience in Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi that is applicable to local government. I have served on two local school boards and believe education is the most important asset of our community. I have had a public service mission throughout my private-sector career. I have employed and provided leadership for 200-plus employees who were focused on improving the quality of life for our region.

What do you feel is the biggest issue city leaders are facing and your thoughts on how to improve it? 

There are several issues Ward 1 residents have shared with me — a need to balance our growth and development interests with our need to preserve, maintain and improve our neighborhoods; infrastructure and safety issues including drainage and sidewalks; effective operation of our animal shelter; affordable housing; education equity and health issues. The common denominator is leaders who will listen to our citizens, make hard decisions and do the right thing.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city any way you wanted, what would you do with it and why?

That is a creative and thoughtful question. I probably would use it for several items — $250,000 to support a healthy mix of entrepreneurial business investment and location on our Square and throughout our community; $250,000 to support equity education in our schools; $250,000 to acquire land to spur affordable housing development through a public-private partnership and $250,000  for investments/grants to local non-profits to improve the quality of life for all citizens. There is nothing that we cannot accomplish working together.