DISH | Candidate
A Political Family: Melvin Priester Jr. by Jacob D. Fuller
What did you learn while living in San Francisco that you think could work in Jackson? I think I’ve learned in San Francisco
February 13 - 19, 2013
Melvin Priester Jr.
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Running for: Ward 2 City Council Age: 34 Political experience: Helped coordinate his father’s judicial campaign in 2010 Education: Murrah High School 1997; Harvard University 2001, bachelor’s in social studies; Stanford Law School 2004 Profession: Lawyer at Priester Law Firm Family: Single; Father is Hinds County Judge Melvin Priester Sr.
how better to appreciate what we have in be mined effectively. If we can make certain I also would, on Election Day, make it Jackson. The process of me moving back to online resources of Jackson more dynamic, a real priority to work with either whoever Jackson, it wasn’t like I picked up one day I think it would help people do a lot. will become the new mayor, or assuming and moved back to Jackson. My grandMayor (Harvey) Johnson (Jr.) wins, workmother was 99, and she ing with his office to make was bed-ridden. So I sure that we roll back the started to come back in lack of civility that I think extended streaks: a couple has taken root at City Hall. of weeks here and there, I think one of the reato help take care of her. sons we have situations like When I came back, we had with Sam’s (Club I’d go to things like the announcing it is moving North Midtown Arts out of the city) is that Center, or Seven Studios. people either aren’t talking Being in a place like San to each other enough, or Francisco, where you do they’re not talking to each literally have some of the other enough in a civil best artists or musicians manner. People on city and cultural things in council right now often the world, you get an eye complain that the mayor where you can go, “Oh doesn’t let them have acmy God, the things that cess to department heads. are going on here are just He wants city council as world-class.” people to go through the Jackson, for a city mayor’s office. We need of 175,000 people, has to be able to talk to each an absolutely world-class other. We need to be able arts and culture scene. It’s to be a team. an amazingly collaborative group of people who Why is this a problem work very hard to not be for the Council? bound by genre or racial Because we have background. It’s a real a strong-mayor, weakMelvin Priester Jr. is a graduate of Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and the son of a Hinds County district judge.This May, Priester example of when people council form of governhopes to add Ward 2 City Councilmen to his resume. work together. ment, that often causes Being in San Fransome tension between cisco gave me the conpeople. I think what we, fidence to (say), “I want to be associated If you are elected, day one, what as city councilmen, have to do is recogwith these people, because what they are is your first priority? nize our role. We are a legislative body, doing here is just as good as what they are My first priority is if I have to buy the but we are also ambassadors for this city. doing in the Bay Area.” Now, there are asphalt myself, I’m going to fix some of the I’ve talked to members of the Missisfewer people doing it, so you may not get potholes on Hanging Moss (Road). I don’t sippi Delegation to the state Legislature, to have the volume of activity, but you have mean that to be flippant. and they often talked about how we somethe parts there. Learning how to appreciThe mayor indicated that he is trying times shoot ourselves in the foot, in terms ate that is one of the main things I learned to do a new bond issue to get some of the of getting things from the state, because in San Francisco. streets repaved. This winter has been partic- we’re not able to present our city leadership The other things that I’d say I learned ularly bad for potholes. It’s something that as organized, as a team, as a competent in San Francisco, in terms of politics and very adversely impacts, in a very concrete body. That has to stop. governance, specifically, is the extent to way, a lot of people’s lives. A lot of people We have for too long fought old fights. which it is possible now to make govern- are getting their cars messed up because of We see ourselves in battle with Madison or ment very user-friendly for people. It goes these potholes. Clinton or the rest of Hinds County. We see from a variety of things: from just simply I would particularly like to see that ourselves in battle with the state Legislature, turning parking meters to devices that this bond issue moves forward as indicated. because of current acts and because of hiscan take credit cards so people are willing I would like to make sure that we put in a toric acts. At the end of the day, the way you to pay to park instead of just walking off very transparent and accountable measure get out of hole is: You’ve got to stop digging. because they don’t have change; to making for ranking which potholes get fixed first You’ve got to start saying: “I’m going to keep sure that any city service that needs to be and which roads get fixed first. in mind how we got here, so I don’t make accessed can be accessed online, and (that There’s a perception, rightly or wrong- the same mistakes over again, but we’re goit has) a well-done Web page. ly, that certain parts of town gets more at- ing to turn a new page. We’re going to be I think one of the things that really tention that other parts of town. I think it’s on the same page, and not sort of have these frustrates a lot of people that are trying important for us to develop and have pro- public squabbles that we have had before.” to do things in Jackson, is that they often cedures in place so that we make sure that Read more of this interview and com(say), “I would do it legally if I just knew Ward 2 is getting as much attention on the ment at www.jfp.ms. Email Jacob D. Fuller how to do it right.” That is an area that can road front as Ward 1 and Ward 7, etcetera. at jacob@jacksonfreepress.com. TRIP BURNS
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ttorney Melvin Priester Jr. first dove into politics when he helped manage his father’s campaign for Hinds County Court judge in 2010. Melvin Priester Sr. won that election. Now, Junior is following with a bid for the Jackson City Council seat for Ward 2. Priester spent four years after graduating from Stanford Law School working at a San Francisco firm before moving back to Jackson. Since deciding to run for city council, Priester said he has turned his attention to neighborhood associations. He said he has visited with one to two community groups every day for weeks, gauging what people want to see from local government. Priester said he sees a need for the city to make the process of taking over abandoned properties easier and to allow community organizations to get involved in the process. The Jackson Free Press caught up with Priester at his family’s law firm, where he works. Priester wants to focus on making the most of what Jackson has. He said he’d like to see the city’s 3-1-1 system allow citizens more access to tracking other people’s complaints and issues. He also said he wants to see the city open Lake Hico to the public. The lake, located off Northside Drive, was closed to the public in 1968, shortly after black people began to use it. Jackson Public Schools own the land, and currently lease Lake Hico to Entergy Mississippi as a cooling pond. Priester believes it is time to reopen the lake to bring Jacksonians together. It’s that type of connectedness and openness that Priester says he wants to help bring to the city.