Lincoln County Board of Supervisors President the Rev. JerryWilson said Tuesday he has been “beat up” by the press amidcriticism of his leadership and handling of the situationsurrounding a state agency’s lease on a county-owned building.

As supervisors prepared to reject a request from the MississippiDepartment of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and effectively end amonths-long fight over the future of the agency’sBrookhaven-headquartered District Five office, board members eachtook their chance to speak their final piece on the issue. Wilsonproclaimed his support for keeping the office in Brookhaven andthen let loose a tirade, in which he invoked crucifixion, againstThe DAILY LEADER.

“I’ve allowed the media to beat up on me and say harsh wordsagainst me, say I couldn’t handle (the MDWF&P situation),” hesaid. “But there’s no hard feelings on my part – the truth willcome out. I’m all for keeping the department of wildlife.”

Wilson on Tuesday was one of only two supervisors who voted forMDWF&P’s letter of requests.

Earlier in the year, while campaigning for mayor of Brookhaven,Wilson consistently refused to comment on the issue. Wilsonremained silent through more than one month of supervisor-wildlifeoffice negotiations, even as public outcry over supervisors’January decision to allow MDWF&P’s lease to expire reached ahigh point.

Predicting more public outcry over the impending loss of thedistrict office, Wilson fumed that MDWF&P did not send arepresentative to meet with supervisors as requested. He saidwildlife officials didn’t cooperate with supervisors’ efforts towork with their office space dilemma and lamented the possibilitythat county residents would solely blame supervisors when theoffice leaves Brookhaven this fall.

“We’re going to get talked about, put down, all the crucifixion…” Wilson said. “Then we got the media over here (while pointingto a DAILY LEADER reporter) that wants to railroad us and put usdown. I’m sick of it.”