Controversy in Canton Ward 1 election settled

A growing dispute over the qualifications of a Democratic candidate for Canton’s Ward 1 Alderman has been brought to an end, both party and city officials reported mid-day Monday.

Antonio Brooks, whose candidacy for Canton’s Ward 1 Alderman in the April 1 Democratic primary, did not qualify for the election due to a past felony conviction, and his name will not be on the ballot, Canton City Clerk Dr. Chuconna Anderson said Monday. 

The Democratic Executive Committee removed Brooks’ name from its list of qualified candidates earlier, Anderson said. Court records from Leake County show he had been arrested and sentenced to five years – one year house arrest, and four years suspended – after pleading guilty to his third conviction on DUI charges on May 11, 2015.

Canton Attorney Barbara Blackmon, who defended Brooks at the January 13 Democratic Party qualifying hearing, also confirmed Monday Brooks was disqualified.

“The Democratic Executive Committee found that he had pleaded guilty to a felony,” Blackmon said. “Therefore, he could not run. The statute is clear.”

Brooks did not know that he couldn’t qualify for the Canton municipal elections, Blackmon said. No charges against him are anticipated because of his filing to get on the ballot.

CHANGES NEEDED

Canton mayoral candidate Tim Taylor, who is serving as Ward 5 Alderman in the current term, said he is concerned Canton’s reputation as a governing unit would have suffered more ill will and disrepute if the Ward 1 Alderman’s qualifying issue had not been cleared up.

“The city of Canton is already attacked as being one of the most corrupt cities in the state of Mississippi,” Taylor said in a February 28 telephone interview. “If this had gone forth, what would this have said about Canton? We’re already circumvented out. We can’t get some of the bigger businesses that move into Madison County to come to Canton. We’re missing out on some of the best sales tax opportunities. Some of these Fortune 500 businesses are right there at the city limits, but we can’t get them to come in. Every entity in the City of Canton has gone through some type of corruption scandal. CMU, Canton Public Schools, City Hall. At some point we should be looking at what Fannie Lou Hamer said: ‘We ought to be sick and tired of being sick and tired.’” 

CANTON MUNICIPAL CANDIDATES

For Mayor: Democrats Daphne Johnson Sims, Tim Taylor, and Comelia Walker. Republican Chip Matthews. Independents: Walter Peeples and Daniel Spivey.

For Alderman (7 Wards): Ward 1: Rodriquez Brown (Incumbent). Ward 2: Fred Esco (Incumbent), Shannon Whitehead. Ward 3: Les A. Penn (Incumbent), My’Angel Brim. Ward 4: Cynthia Allen, Tykensian “Ty” Barnes, Victor Hughes, Crystal Luckett, and Markee Blount (Incumbent). Ward 5: Barbara Brown, Janice Diamond, Fredrick Mayfield, Laura Elaine Blair, and Chrishanda Jackson. Ward 6: Incumbent Monica Gilkey (Incumbent) and Dexter Brim. Ward 7: Lafayette E. Wales (Incumbent), and Ronald Carter.

On primary day, April 1, polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Absentee ballots returned by mail must be postmarked on or before Election Day and received by the Municipal Clerk’s Office within five business days.