JACKSON, Miss. — The Jackson Democratic Committee disqualified Jackson Mayor Frank Melton from the May 5 Democratic primary.
WAPT was the only station present for the announcement late Tuesday afternoon when the party said the mayor isn’t a city resident since he doesn’t claim Homestead exemption in Mississippi.
WAPT reported earlier this month that the Jackson mayor owes more than $13,000 in Hinds County taxes for 2008 for his Jackson home, including a 1 percent penalty for not paying by Feb. 1. If the mayor doesn’t pay his tax bill, the house goes on the auction block again on Aug. 3. The mayor’s property in Flint, Texas, is already up for tax sale.
Melton called the announcement a political stunt to knock him out of the race, 16 WAPT’s Joseph Pleasant reported.
The mayor’s lawyer, John Reeves, said the Democratic Executive Committee has agreed to meet with him to discuss the mayor’s disqualification. Reeves said, hopefully, they can settle the issue without going to court.
“He files Homestead exemption in Texas, which disqualifies him for the candidate for the city as mayor,” said Claude McInnis, chairman of the Jackson Municipal Democratic Executive Committee.
McInnis said Melton may have a home in Jackson but it doesn’t meet the residency requirement for Melton to run for re-election. He said since the mayor does not claim Homestead exemption on his North Jackson home, it’s not his primary residence.
“He came back before us and we will have another conversation. Or, he can take remedies in the courts,” McInnis said.
Melton told 16 WAPT by phone that’s exactly what he will do. He called the disqualification a way for his political opponents to knock him out of the race.
“It’s so unfair. Everyone knows I live here. I live at 2 Carters Grove in Jackson,” Melton said.
Hinds County tax records indicate the mayor does not claim Homestead exemption on his Jackson home. When 16 WAPT checked the Municipal Elections Handbook published by the Mississippi Secretary of State’s office, it found that the handbook doesn’t mention Homestead exemption as a requirement to prove residency.
“I served on the state Board of Education. I served as head of MBN and I served as mayor for four years. This is my home,” Melton said.
Committee members said they questioned the mayor’s residency in 2005 but took a closer look this time, saying partly because the Rev. Edward Hightower challenged the mayor’s candidacy as a Democrat.
“He has proven he doesn’t care about this party, the city or the people therein. He has led this city downhill every since he has been there,” Hightower said.
If the mayor’s appeals aren’t successful, he could be out of the race. It’s too late for him to qualify to run as a Republican or Independent.
Hightower said that if the committee does certify the mayor for the primary, he will go to the Hinds County Circuit Court. He said he is already working on the paperwork to keep the mayor from running on the Democratic ticket.
The mayor has a meeting set for sometime Thursday or Friday with the committee.
The Democratic primary is May 5 with runoffs set for May 19. The general election for mayor is June 2.
Melton and his former police bodyguard have been accused of leading a group of troubled young men to use sticks and sledgehammers to damage the house in a vigilante-style raid in August 2006.
Last month, a federal judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict.
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