Winona’s Jerry Flowers set to return as mayor after losing last race

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI) – June 3 municipal elections will mean some new faces in city halls around the area..

In Winona, the election means the return of a familiar face.

Former mayor Jerry Flowers defeated current Mayor Aaron Dees to return to the office he left 4 years ago.

For Winona native Jerry Flowers, it’s a return to his favorite role.

“Being the mayor of Winona is the greatest honor of my life,” Flowers said.

Flowers was Winona’s mayor for 14 years and served on the Board of Aldermen for 14 years before that.

He said he enjoys having the opportunity to make the community better.

“This is my hometown and I love it,” Flowers said. “I try to do everything I can to make it better. We’ve got to work together with everybody, all communities, all businesses, and try to work together to make Winona better than it has been.”

Flowers is also a small business owner, so even when he wasn’t in office, he was still invested in the success of the city..

“It’s just dealing with your time and allocating what it needs,” Flowers said. “When I was mayor 14 years ago, Winona did not go neglected, and neither did Flowers Accounting. So it’s a struggle sometimes, but it’s just something where I love Winona.”

In his previous terms, he used his accounting background to his advantage, ensuring financial oversight of the city’s budget.

He said there is still some unfinished business from those days, too.

“The water quality in Winona is one of the biggest issues,” Flowers said. “It was 40 years ago when they drilled the water, it didn’t go deep enough and its got an iron content into it. It’s safe, all that but anyway so we did that project about ten years ago and finished in ’21. I want to finish that and then also by this time, the plan was to drill another whale and help on the other side of Winona.”

Flowers will take office on July 1st.

He is set to bring his experience as a leader and commanding knowledge of Winona’s financial standing to work with him.

“I’m for everybody and then I am going to do my best,” Flowers said. “Hopefully with what I know and learn in the previous years and the people that I’ve got to know down in Jackson that I can make a difference. The four years away helped.”

Flowers won the mayoral race against two independent candidates in Gloria Johnson and current mayor Aaron Dees.