The year 2021 was a great one for Senatobia Mayor Greg Graves as he secured his first full term in office after running unopposed in the general election last June. Graves, 61, officially took over as mayor after winning a special election in October of 2018 filling the spot vacated by Alan Callicott, who stepped down after 17 years as leader of the city.
Graves and his wife Celeste had another reason to celebrate in 2021 with the birth of their third granddaughter, Seeley, last October.
He was kind enough to sit down with Tate Record reporter Brett Brown and give his annual update on the state of the city and plans for its future.
BB: What are some of the city’s accomplishments this past year you are most proud of?
Graves: The reopening of our hospital was a game changer. So many people worked behind the scenes to make that happen. We are very grateful for State Representative Trey Lamar’s hard work in getting the ball rolling on that project. We had some restructuring within our police department that made our city a safer place to live and better place to visit. Our aldermen worked together and made our police force one of the best in the area. They have beefed up patrols to make our streets and homes safer. Our fire department is second to none when it comes to serving citizens. They always go above and beyond to protect property and save lives.
BB: Elaborate on what the city is doing to enhance the police and fire departments.
Graves: Chief Richard Chandler hit the ground running when he became leader of our police department over a year ago with a variety of ideas. The police department now has its own separate dispatch office, which has led to less confusion for our citizens when they have an emergency. We are in the process of renovating the former Entergy building on Center Street that will officially serve as police headquarters sometime in 2022. We are also partnering with county leaders on a new impound lot near the Tate County Sheriff’s Office. We ordered a new ladder truck for our fire department at a cost of $1.3 million. Chief Ethan Foresman is always searching for new ways to provide the best fire protection for our city. We are exploring a new fire station on the west side of the city because there has been a lot of growth in that area recently. There are also plans to renovate our downtown fire station inside and out with modern amenities to bring it up to date.
BB: What do you see as some of the city’s biggest needs in 2022?
Graves: A name brand hotel remains at the top. Our need for one is increasing every day. Northwest Mississippi Community College is in the process of building a new performing arts center that will no doubt bring more people into our city. Senatobia Sports Park has done that for the past several years. It’s time for us to answer the challenge and provide a first-rate place for visitors of our city to lodge. More restaurants are high on our list of needs, as well.
BB: There has been a lot of talk regarding the addition of roundabouts to replace the intersections at Main Street and Highway 51 and Main Street and Norfleet Drive. What progress has been made on those?
Graves: We are still in the process of acquiring property for our roundabout at Main and Norfleet. We received grant money for that project and purchased the site of Dee’s Oil for $650,000. It’s still pretty much in the planning stages. I believe the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has its sights set on beginning construction of the roundabout at Main and Highway 51 this spring or summer.
BB: Where does the city stand on the $9 million project to upgrade the city’s wastewater treatment plant?
Graves: We hope to have everything up and functioning in late 2022. COVID threw a wrench into our plans to have it ready in 2021. We recently added Back Acres Country Club to our water system, so it’s important to get the wastewater treatment plant online this year.
BB: Industry is a vital part of any city. Are there any updates to those?
Graves: A company recently purchased the building that previously housed LSC Communications on Matthews Drive. Hopefully, they can find an industry to lease it to and provide more employment opportunities for our citizens. Some of the suppliers for ABB are looking into possibly relocating closer to Senatobia to save on shipping costs. We expect those suppliers to visit in March to explore that option.
BB: The resurgence of downtown Senatobia continues to be a focal point for city leaders. What additional plans are in store for that area?
Graves: We are truly thankful for what Trey Lamar has done for his hometown. He helped us secure a $2.6 downtown revitalization grant and we should start seeing tangible results from that in the next 60 days. We plan to make changes that will beautify our downtown such as a new stop light at Main and Front Streets, repaving some side streets, and adding ADA accessible ramps. We recently met with a representative from the PATH Firm to upgrade all our streetlights in the city to make them more energy efficient and save the city money. That includes new street posts downtown and new lighting on the 740 Interchange off Interstate 55.
BB: What new project is in the works that citizens may not know about?
Graves: Once again, we owe a debt of gratitude to Trey Lamar for helping us obtain a $300,000 grant to install new rod iron fencing around both of our city-owned cemeteries – Bethesda and Senatobia Memorial.
BB: Some local businesses continue to be severely affected by the COVID pandemic. What advice can you give them?
Graves: I always urge everyone to shop locally and give back to the businesses that have been here for 50, 60 and 70 years. They have survived because of local support. We also have several new businesses that need your encouragement as well. We live in a great city with two amazing school systems. Northwest Mississippi Community College is recognized yearly as one of the top learning institutions in the country. We partner with all our schools frequently because they have so much to offer. The future of our city is bright and we are excited about taking the next step to make it a better place to live and visit.
