Video: Slate Springs Determined To Survive

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SLATE SPRINGS, Miss. (WCBI)-Woodland, Gattman, and Walthall are small North Mississippi towns fighting to survive.  Slate Springs, has a population of just 122 residents. Like his father before him, Slate Springs Mayor Dale Weeks and the five aldermen who run the tiny Calhoun County town are “not” paid a salary.

“I want to see the town grow. If possible and I want to dedicate my time to it if anything I can do to help it. And people before me have done the same thing,” said Dale Weeks, Mayor.

The town of Slate Springs is conveniently located right at the center of Hwy 9 about 9 miles from Calhoun County and 15 miles from Euporah. The town is home to the late Brigadier General Fox Conner. Conner  once mentored a young Lieutenant by the name of Dwight D. Eisenhower. A small glove factory employing about a dozen workers is one of four businesses operating in the town which sees a tiny monthly sales tax revenue of about three hundred dollars.

“We had ten to twelve at one time, it was a bigger plant but its smaller now. And other than that we have Sanders, Jimmie Sanders Feed. We have LP Gas Company here. And macon Mapping which he does a lot of mapping for the entire state,” said Weeks.

Of course its not Jackson or Big City USA, but Mayor Weeks boasts of having a low crime rate in the town of his birth. Life is pleasant and there are things to do in the little village.

“And we do have a walking track here which a lot of people, not only in town but out of town come up here and walk. We have a tennis court, a real nice tennis court. Basketball goals, swings for the kids,” said Weeks.

In addition to those recreational services for the people, Mayor Weeks is optimistic and determined to woo other businesses to town. That’s in spite of a slow economy, that’s being felt in Mississippi cities great and small.

“Well at the present time we just trying to hold on to what we’ve got. And hoping that the future that we will maybe get some more stores into town,” said Weeks.

The annual operating budget for the town of Slate Springs is just over $100,000 dollars.

 

 

 

 

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