This election year, there are seven candidates vying for the District 5 seat at the table of the one body that supervises almost everything that goes on in Lincoln County government.

The five-member board of supervisors is the pacesetter for county government in Mississippi and is the chief policy-making and administrative body of the county.

Lincoln County Board of Supervisors’ meetings are held twice a month on Mondays at 9 a.m. and are open to the public. The next meeting will be June 15.

Two of the five Republicans contending for the District 5 primary spot are David “Red” Britt and Donald E. Case.

Donald E. Case is a lifelong Lincoln County resident who has served as a principal, teacher, head basketball coach and transportation director for Lincoln County School District. Case attended Copiah-Lincoln Community College before earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Case said he believes he has the education and the leadership skills needed to be a good supervisor, and the ability to work with federal, local and state officials to move Lincoln County forward.

“Every supervisor understands the importance of maintaining roads and bridges and right-of-ways, but it’s much more than that,” Case said. “A supervisor must be willing to set priorities and spend the taxpayer money where it’s most needed. They should make difficult decisions based on sound fiscal policy and not be influenced by the politics of the day.”

Case said the supervisor position means the opportunity to be a positive influence on the everyday life of the people in this county.

“If elected I’ll do my best with the responsibility given to me,” Case said. “I will gain the respect of people by giving them the respect and dignity they deserve.”

Case said a supervisor must listen to the opinions and suggestions of residents, and take care of and appreciate them. Case also talked about the importance of seeking state and federal money to bridge the gap between budget and efforts.

Case and his wife Pam have two sons and attend New Hope United Methodist Church.

David “Red” Britt has lived in Lincoln County for 61 years and has a history in construction and supervising. Britt worked with and supervised drivers for Sanderson Farms for 12 years, experience that Britt said gives him an understanding and commonality with hardworking everyday taxpayers. Britt said he is running for the people of District 5 and Lincoln County as a whole in order to do what he can to help others.

Britt said he would want to be held accountable as a supervisor and communicate with the people who put him in office, as a supervisor works for the taxpayers, he said. This thought is behind his goal of starting community meetings within District 5.

“We have about five or six different communities in that [district] and I want to give back and go back say, once or twice a year and go and talk with people that are in these communities,” Britt said. “They’re the ones that live out there, they’re the ones that know what’s going on. They see this, they see that. And try to get some communication between everybody to see what needs to be done.

“I’m not saying I’ll be able to do it all, but do as much as I can do to help give back,” Britt said. “It’s something that hasn’t ever been done I don’t think.”

Britt said the way the county handles potholes and the poor condition of some ditches are two specific concerns he wants to take action on. He said with all the rain in the past few weeks and months, he drove around to evaluate issues.

“There’s water running through people’s yards that couldn’t run through covers, couldn’t run down the ditches,” Britt said. “And I think it’s just a waste of taxpayer money. I’m sick of it, and they’re sick of it and I just want to try and make a change for the better – that’s just as plain as I can be.”

Britt said the way the county patches potholes causes them to wash out and become worse, and that this practice would come to a halt if he were elected.

“I’ll strive to respect the needs and wishes and provide the best services I can within the laws of the state of Mississippi,” Britt said. “To be considerate and respectful regardless of who you are, if you vote for me or not. I will be a supervisor for all the people in each community of the district and strive to keep communications with and inform and answer any questions people might have the best I can. I will not forget who put me in office.”

Britt and his wife Karen have two children and attend Philadelphia Baptist Church in Caseyville.