NATCHEZ, Miss. – The recent assemblage of Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson with six of his seven predecessors going back 54 years provided a rare opportunity to review the city’s recent history and hear former political foes highlight their stints in office.
Sitting side-by-side Monday at a forum co-sponsored by Copiah-Lincoln Community College, former mayors Tony Byrne, David Armstrong, Hank Smith, Philip West, Jake Middleton and Darryl Grennell joined the city’s current mayor. Former mayor Butch Brown is ill and could not attend.
Going back to 2000, the city’s electorate has voted out five of the Natchez mayors and two decided not to run for re-election.
Byrne traces his years in office to 1968, when he was a chamber of commerce executive and city alderman elected to be the youngest Mississippi mayor at the time. At Monday’s forum, he cited his efforts to bring harmony to the city as racial tension was at a breaking point.
He went on to serve five terms as Natchez’ longest-tenured mayor since William Benbrook was in office 1889 to 1922.
Byrne’s 1988 bid for a sixth term was foiled by Armstrong, an attorney who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Armstrong counts the expansion of the city-owned Duncan Park golf course among his highpoints as mayor.
Armstrong’s time in office was brief as he was unseated four years later by Brown, a businessman who went on to serve two terms.
Under Brown’s leadership, the city was able to get state and federal funds to stabilize the eroding bluff that was imperiling downtown Natchez. He was upset in 2000 by Hank Smith, then a gift-shop operator and political newcomer.
Since denying Brown the third term he sought in 2000, Natchez voters have selected and then deposed three other mayors in a row after only one term: Smith, Middleton and West.
“That’s the beauty of democracy,” said Smith, emphasizing the people’s right to determine who governs them.
Smith did express pride Monday about his work for reorganizing the Natchez-Adams County economic development agency during his single term at City Hall. Voters booted him out in 2004, when West won the race to become Natchez’ first Black mayor since Robert Wood served in 1872.
West is a seasoned civil-rights activist who had served as a county supervisor and state legislator. He pointed to his efforts for leasing city-owned land where the Natchez casino is now located. He also noted the city accommodated hundreds of Hurricane Katrina refugees in 2005 while he was mayor.
West was turned out of office in 2008 when voters opted for Middleton, a city alderman who had served 16 years that included four with West as mayor. “Noting personal against Philip,” Middleton said, but the economy “was in the tank” and he wanted to be mayor to pursue goals that included lowering the city’s debt and accommodating Magnolia Bluffs Casino to create more jobs and revenues for the city.
“It was either that or raise taxes,” Middleton said.
He noted Natchez city government is structured with a “weak” mayor who has to rely largely on his power of persuasion working with the six city aldermen to get enough votes on the board. There’s “a lot of politicking going on to get things done,” he said.
Natchez voters apparently felt Middleton didn’t do enough, as he was defeated by Brown when the former mayor made his comeback for a third term in 2012 after 12 years out of office. Brown led Natchez during its Tricentennial celebration in 2016, but he suffered a stroke and chose not to run for re-election.
Grennell, who had served 18 years as an Adams County supervisor, succeeded Brown in 2016 but served just one term as mayor. Grennell pointed to the stresses of the job – which included managing the city during the early months of the COVID pandemic that crippled the world in 2020.
He did say his most notable achievement as mayor was spearheading construction of the city’s “Proud to Take a Stand” monument commemorating the civil-rights movement.
Gibson – who previously served as Crystal Springs mayor and ran unsuccessfully for governor – took Grennell’s place in 2020, defeating West as the former mayor made another try to retake City Hall.
Gibson has indicated he will run for re-election in 2024.
Monday’s panel discussion – Meet the Mayors: Democracy Natchez Style— was held at Co-Lin’s Natchez campus, where a Smithsonian Institution-organized exhibit is on display until Nov. 11. Voices and Votes: Democracy in America also includes various events in the coming weeks at the college campus.
Video of the mayors forum can be viewed on Facebook:
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