Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr.’s yearly State of the City address took on a different tone Wednesday night at the Robert M. Walker Building with a design geared toward presenting a vision for the future that quickly turned into a question-and-answer session with the audience. 

Acknowledging 2025 as an election year, Flaggs pointed toward his “vision” for 2025-29 should he win reelection in the June 3 municipal race and began with a focus on the city’s future. Flaggs touched on plans to address a number of issues that dominated much of the conversation surrounding municipal governance in 2024, including crime, city blight and youth recreation, but spent the majority of Wednesday’s hour-long session answering questions.

“Our youth are being left behind,” Flaggs said in response to a question about the correlation between youth recreation and crime in the River City, but pointed to the city’s Youth Development Center and programs initiated by Ward 1 Alderman T.J. Mayfield as steps in the right direction.

Flaggs also answered questions concerning trash rates for residents and businesses not located in Vicksburg’s downtown district, saying the current rate of $21 can’t be adjusted before July 1, but did not commit to a solution after that date.

“We can’t use the General Fund for trash,” Flaggs said Wednesday. “We got the attorney general’s opinion that we can’t assess and phase-in.”

Answering questions in relation to the city’s homeless problem, exacerbated this week by the State of Mississippi removing an encampment located near Vicksburg’s Walmart, Flaggs said a number of local shelters are equipped to help those in need. Flaggs added that those requiring aid often don’t agree to the help.

“You can go to the police department, or you can call my office and they’ll put you up if you’re homeless,” he said. “I hate to say it, but a lot of people that are homeless, they’re homeless because they want to be homeless.”

Flaggs also fielded questions about a $1,000 donation approved Monday for an NIL fundraiser for Jackson State University, an agenda item Ward 2 Alderman Alex Monsour voted against and called a “bad idea” for how to spend taxpayer dollars.

“Jackson State and Alcorn State are some of the biggest economic investors in this community,” Flaggs said. 

“I don’t know,” Flaggs said of the total number of dollars spent in donations over the past 12 months. “But, I can say this, and that is that in order to get people to come to Vicksburg, you have to promote. In order to promote, you have to pay for it.”

Flaggs also addressed those who continue to push for a change in Vicksburg’s form of government and allegations he has flip-flopped his stance on the matter. Flaggs said his opposition is not to altering the River City’s governmental structure as a possibility, but instead to a specific form of municipal organization.

“I inherited this form of government,” he said. “You’ve got my vote to change it, but I’m not going to vote for a management style.”

Flaggs also touted successes in his last term as mayor, specifically the city’s new animal shelter on Cedars Road and an upswing in Vicksburg’s downtown district. 

Flaggs said during Monday’s meeting that he plans to qualify later this month to run for a fourth term as mayor.

The complete video from Wednesday night’s address can be vied at https://www.facebook.com/100063464022865/videos/463700269907639