PHOTO BY BRETT CAMPBELL Mayor Larry Jointer readies to lead his first board meeting as mayor of Brookhaven.

July 1 was a historic day in the City of Brookhaven. The first African-American mayor stepped into office. The Rev. Dr. Larry D. Jointer, long-time pastor of St. James M.B. Church, was elected to the position and sworn in during June.

During his inaugural board meeting Tuesday, Jointer thanked God for the opportunity to become mayor and to work together with the people of Brookhaven “for this great city we call home.” After thanking family, friends, city residents and board members, the mayor shared his mindset and goals for the coming term.

“We are committed to giving our time and making the hard decisions when called upon. We will be transparent during our endeavors to move Brookhaven forward. The citizens have a right to know the workings of government. These Board members and I are all committed to open doors of government. After all, we are all in this together!

“A safe place to work and live is a commitment that I, all departments of government and city residents, must make to tackle a growing crime problem. We all know that. We have not always protected our children, homes, and businesses like we should. That is about to change.

“I am committed to putting in place a well-trained and effective police force. That starts at the top with professional leadership. I will keep a keen watch on this department and will work to make the issue of curing our crime problem my priority.

*Job creation is the growth of this city. Employers are looking for basic infrastructure like water, sewer, electricity, and roads. We have all of that with our railroad, industrial parks, I-55, and city roadways, but they also need an educated workforce. I will work with our educators, families, employers, and churches to create the environment that our brightest minds want to come back home to and the place corporations want to be.

“The city budget will demand our immediate attention. I and this Board will make sure we have all necessary city services in place while doing so without tax increases on our residents.

“Our core desire is to create a safer, healthier, and better place where our children can grow and learn and maybe even think about raising their family here one day. A forward-thinking city that gives opportunity to our most vulnerable and where no community is left behind.

I am excited to be a part of this future we all envision for our Home Seekers Paradise.”

“My motto is this,” Jointer said. “One people, one place, one purpose.”