The Lumberton Board of Aldermen will soon have new representation for Ward 4, as Jasmine Holder recently defeated Bobby Gibson in a special election for the position that was vacated after former Ward 4 Alderman Bobby Smith resigned after moving to Forrest County.
According to final but unofficial results for the November 21 election – during which votes were counted at the Ben Barrett Community Center on East Main Avenue in Lumberton – Holder defeated Gibson 62 votes to 24. There were six affidavits in the race, all of which went to Holder, who is expected to be sworn into the position sometime in December.
Holder was unavailable for comment by press time.
Smith’s resignation was accepted at a board meeting in early October, after he made the move to Forrest County in September. Board members voted 3-1 to accept the resignation and declare the seat vacant.
Alderpersons Kent Crider, Kyle Crider and Sandra Kee voted in favor of the measure.
“(The board members) said that (Smith) didn’t live there anymore … and he said he wasn’t going to argue the fact and he would just go ahead and resign,” Mayor Quincy Rogers said after that meeting.
Smith, who was elected to Ward 4 in 2021, said he intended to resign prior to the board putting that measure to a vote. However, he chose to delay his resignation to tie up some financial matters in the city.
“I’m a stickler for the law, and I know what the state statute says,” Smith said. “I did move to Forrest County right in the middle of the budget process, and I stayed until we completed that, because to me it was very important that we get the budget done, and get it done on time.
“One of the things in Lumberton’s past has been (failing) to get its budget done, so that was one of my main reasons for staying. The other was … the (American Rescue Plan Act) funding (that was recently awarded for sewer line work throughout the city).”
Holder and Gibson were the only two candidates to qualify for the position.
Holder will serve the remainder of Smith’s term, which will expire next year. At that point, another regular election will be held to determine the next holder of that position.
According to Mississippi Code Section 23-15-85, when any vacancy in a municipality exceeds more than six months, that position must be filled by the governing body of that entity.
“When it shall happen that there is any vacancy in a city, town or village office which is elective, the unexpired term of which shall not exceed six months, the same shall be filled by appointment by the governing authority or remainder of the governing authority of said city, town or village,” the code states. “The municipal clerk shall certify to the Secretary of State the fact of such appointment, and the person or persons so appointed shall be commissioned by the Governor.
“When it shall happen that there is any vacancy in an elective office in a city, town or village the unexpired term of which shall exceed six months, the governing authority or remainder of the governing authority of said city, town or village shall make and enter on the minutes an order for an election to be held in such city, town or village to fill the vacancy and fix a date upon which such election shall be held.
Because there were only two candidates in the race, a runoff election was not necessary.
