PHOTO BY BRETT CAMPBELL Members of the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen converse prior to their meeting.

“I have no regrets, only gratitude.”

Outgoing Brookhaven Mayor Joe C. Cox made the statement during his final regular board meeting Tuesday. The three-term mayor ends his time in office on June 30. Newly-elected Mayor Larry Jointer will take office July 1.

“I am reminded of a quote by John Quincy Adams: ‘Duty is ours, results are God’s.’ It expresses the idea that while we each are responsible for fulfilling our duties and obligations, we should trust that the ultimate outcomes rest in God’s hands,” Cox said. 

“Thank you to those who stood by me with your vote on June 3. The result was not what I had hoped for; however, I trust God’s sovereignty and remain confident that I fulfilled my part — by doing what was right and ethical, and by acting with integrity both in fulfilling my responsibilities as your mayor and throughout the campaign.

“Serving as mayor of my hometown of Brookhaven since 2013 has been one of the greatest honors of my life. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to represent our city while serving with honesty, fairness, decorum, and principled leadership — while maintaining an open-door policy and operating within the confines of Mississippi and local laws. Because I have consistently practiced a philosophy rooted in a strong work ethic, sound judgment, fiscal responsibility, and principled leadership, I am confident in the decisions made over the past 12 years.

“We have a vibrant business community and a thriving, flourishing economy that is fiscally sound — with a record of 12 consecutive years of balanced budgets and no tax increases. Our growth can be attributed to the collective efforts of visionary leaders within our city government, our city’s dedicated employees and staff, engaged community members, committed businesses, and entrepreneurs — working together as a team to achieve purposeful, next-generation goals as we continuously moved Brookhaven forward. To all, I extend my sincere appreciation.

“Upon reflection, we have witnessed exceptional accomplishments in economic development, including $250 million investment in our Industrial Park area and a $9 million retail expansion project — along with new and expanding privately owned developments by local, regional, and national retailers and medical providers. Our businesses are growing due to the entrepreneurship and resilience of our business owners, the patronage of residents, and the Chamber’s tourism efforts.

“I am thankful for the progress achieved during my term as we worked together to build a better

Brookhaven for all residents, future generations, and our community as a whole. We completed

the paving of over 143 streets throughout the city and additional paving projects, all totaling

$11 million; the new North First Street Fire Station; the Brookhaven Building; the city’s largest water and sewer projects; improvements to the A. L. Lott Sportsplex; the Union Station Depot Renovation Project; new and improved city parks; and the revitalization of our downtown area.

“A strong economic, infrastructure, and fiscal foundation has been established for our city, paving the way for long-term growth. I trust that the newly elected board will complete the projects already underway, as well as those in the planning phase, while continuing to build on the progress we have made. A few of those projects include: the new City Hall building, which required no tax increase, no issuance of bonds, and no financing due to payment to be received from Lincoln County per the 1980 interlocal agreement; the groundbreaking of the Madera Court development in July — a private investment bringing new single-family homes to Ward 3; all phases of the Brookway Boulevard Project, including traffic signals and drainage improvements; the Brookhaven Water Treatment and Tank Rehabilitation Project; the Rubbish Pit Closure Project; cleanup of blighted areas; and a proposed Cold Case Resolution Unit within the Police Department.

“Through the appointment of our city’s first-ever police chief, the mayor and board will soon have a say in how the Police Department is led and structured in order to restore community safety, reduce crime, and ensure laws are enforced — and the ability to implement Police Department policies and procedures adopted by the board in 2024 to assist in rebuilding the department’s effectiveness. My desire is for the new board to hire a professional lawman to lead the department.

“In Romans, Paul tells us that every man is given a gift according to the grace of God — if that gift be one of service, may he serve well. I want to thank my wife of 45 years, Angie Cox, and my two children, Wade Cox and Claire Cox Strong, for their unwavering support throughout my three consecutive terms as mayor of the City of Brookhaven. My responsibilities as mayor often took precedence over family time and events. Their encouragement and understanding of my duties as an elected public servant enabled me to serve you well while overseeing the daily operations of the city.

“I leave this office with no regrets — only gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to lead and the friendships I’ve built along the way. My love for Brookhaven has only grown stronger. Though I will be stepping away from the mayor’s desk, I remain, as ever, a proud citizen and lifelong supporter of this great city. Thank you again for the honor of serving. I pray we continue to be unified as one city, with common goals, sharing a vision for the future.”

Aldermen expressed their thanks and well wishes to Cox, as well as outgoing Alderman-at-Large Don Underwood and Ward 3 Alderman Rev. Charles Caston Sr. Underwood and Caston are each leaving after one term.

“I enjoyed working with each of you. I wish you well and I commit to pray for you and invoke God’s blessings on you,” said Fletcher Grice, Ward 5. “I appreciate your service.”

Ward 6 Alderman Andre’ Spiller added that, like siblings, he and Cox had not always gotten along or agreed on issues, but he nevertheless had admiration for the mayor.

“I really appreciate you for the work you’ve done,” Spiller said. “I appreciate the man you are.”

Henning also specifically thanked Caston.

“I compliment you on the job you did in a ward that had been neglected,” he said. 

To Underwood, he said, “You understood what the job of an alderman-at-large is — to see what is needed that benefits the city as a whole … Your passion for helping the city is going to be missed.”

Having earlier made a public statement of thanks for support, Underwood simply wished the new and continuing Board members, “Good luck.”

Caston thanked God and everyone who had supported him in his term. 

“I pray that all will go according to God’s will,” he said. “May God’s blessings be on you and the incoming elected officials.”