Have a question for the mayor or aldermen? Asking directly — in person or by phone — is the “easiest way” to do it.

Maxine Jones, a Lipsey Street resident who has made multiple appearances before the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen on various issues was back at the podium Tuesday. Jones asked how citizens were supposed to get replies from Mayor Joe Cox and the aldermen on important issues, if the meetings were not “question-and-answer session,” as has been stated at multiple Board meetings.

“What is the procedure to get questions and answers from the Board? If we’re on the agenda, how do we get answers [since] this is not a question-and-answer session? What is the protocol?” Jones asked. “Is there some other format?”

After a pause, Mayor Cox reminded her, “It’s not a question-and-answer session,” before asking her to continue with what she wanted to say.

“But what do we do? We get on the agenda and ask a question, and we’re told it’s not a question-and-answer session. You represent us and have to know what our concerns are.

I guess the next election, we’ll have to clean house,” said Jones. “A lot of us don’t get the [news]paper … we watch y’all online. So how do we get answers? If y’all could please answer that one question. Mayor, you preside, but each alderman has a voice … do I go to all, or just mine?”

She asked Board Attorney Bobby Moak to respond, so he did.

“Start with whoever your alderman is in your district and he can relay it,” Moak said. “Go to your alderman or the alderman at-large.”

“We want to be heard and we want clarity — that’s it. Nobody is trying to start confusion, but we want clarity. There’s a lot of misinformation going around,” Jones said.

Jones and others have visited the Mayor’s Office in previous months, meeting with the mayor and other city officials.

“Just like we met before on another topic, just come to my office,” Cox said. “My office is always open.”

Alderman-at-large Don Underwood reiterated that talking to him or her alderman was “the easiest way” to be heard.

“People call me, text me, message me, catch me at the grocery store … Just contact us,” he said.