Canton Board addresses school board appointment and City infrastructure

By Courtney Warren

The Canton Mayor and Board of Aldermen addressed critical infrastructure projects and municipal appointments during its recent March meetings held at City Hall. 

In a significant reversal during a March 12 special call meeting, the Board approved rescinding Alderwoman Janice Diamond’s previous vote regarding the appointment of Kajwana Davis to the Canton Public School Board. The position was originally slated for a five-year term running from March 2026 through February 2031. 

Additionally, the Board moved to authorize a resolution for a public hearing to consider amendments to the City’s Unified Development Code and approved a partnership with BDO for auditing services.

Infrastructure and planning remained a primary focus as the Board authorized Waggoner Engineering to proceed with a $95,000 hourly not-to-exceed task order for on-call planning services and enterprise GIS hosting. City leaders also initiated a re-advertisement for construction bids related to intersection improvements. This modified project scope specifically targets expanding turn radii at the intersections of Adeline Street and Singleton, Adeline and Isabella, and Mace and Edwards. Related discussions also touched on localized flooding issues at MLK and Adeline, as well as the status of the movie theater on Hickory Street.

Public safety and community services saw substantial investment, highlighted by the approval to purchase ten new vehicles for the police department from Gray Daniels for $51,471 each. To improve community engagement, the Board agreed to pay GO GOV $4,300 annually for a citizen notification and alert system. The Board also authorized advertisements for several seasonal events, including a Catfish Rodeo on March 21, a Crawfish Festival on March 28, and a city-wide Easter Egg Hunt scheduled for April 4. Furthermore, the Board approved a one-year extension for a fire department generator grant and updated rental fees for the Canton Multipurpose Complex to a flat rate of $850 per day starting April 1.

Administrative and financial actions included the transfer of $728,520.54 from general funds to sinking funds, and the approval of a subgrant agreement between the City and the Canton Housing Authority. Professional development was also prioritized, with travel authorizations granted for Chief Otha Brown and Assistant Chief Steve Johnson to attend a summer educational conference in Biloxi, and for other officials to attend municipal clerk and congressional conferences. Both sessions concluded with executive sessions to discuss various personnel matters within the police, fire, landfill, and public works departments, alongside negotiations regarding land transactions and prospective litigation.