Pascagoula candidates file for city elections

PASCAGOULA, Jan 05, 2013 (The Sun Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Pascagoula residents will see several new faces taking part in this year's municipal election.

As of Friday, six candidates had filed for office in Pascagoula. Four are seeking the city's mayorship; the other two have qualified for Ward 3 councilman and councilman-at-large. Pascagoula Mayor Robbie Maxwell has announced he will not seek re-election.

Mayoral candidates Frank Corder has served as Ward 4 councilman since 2008. He serves on the elections committee for the Mississippi Municipal League and is the business and marketing advisor for his family business, Corder's Creamery & Garden Bar in Pascagoula.

Corder said he stresses the need to ensure local developments such as the Riverfront and Lowry Island move forward and the millage rate not be increased while finding ways to decrease it. "I chose to invest myself in making Pascagoula a better place to live, work, worship and play at an early age," Corder said. "It is imperative that our city have a mayor who can lead on Day 1." George Wolverton has been Ward 2's councilman since 2005. He worked for 16 years in construction, rising to the position of superintendent for Payne & Keller Construction Co.

Wolverton said he wants to focus on the city's waterfront development, job creation and infrastructure programs. Wolverton said he hit the ground running after being elected amidst issues that came with Hurricane Katrina.

"If there was ever a learning curve to be experienced, that was it," he said.

Robert Hardy is the founder, president and CEO of RMH Telecom Consultants and serves on the board of directors for the Mississippi Maritime and Warship Museum in Pascagoula.

Hardy's website says he will focus on helping the city continue its economic growth, enhancing safety and environment, and improving quality of life, and he said on his site he is "deeply committed to Pascagoula." Jim Blevins, an independent consultant for engineering and project management, worked for Chevron in Pascagoula on the senior management team and retired in 2010 after working in overseas and U.S. facilities.

Blevins said some initiatives he would focus on as mayor are aggressively pursuing economic development; growing the locally owned businesses and improving the appearance of the city. "We have a very good city here in Pascagoula, but I believe we can make it better," Blevins said.

Council candidates Harold Tillman will be seeking his second term as councilman-at-large. He is a lifelong resident of Pascagoula.

"Our biggest concern is promoting and supporting small businesses as well as large industry and solidifying our tax base," he said.

Joe Abston has served as councilman for Ward 3 for three terms and decided to run for a fourth with his family's blessing, he said.

"There's been a lot of good things happen in the city, but we know there is still work to be done that I would like to see come to fruition," Abston said.

Primary elections will be May 7 and the general election is June 4.

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