‘Dummies’ and a ‘con-man’: Board of Supervisors vote out David Archie as vice president

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Hinds County District 2 Supervisor David Archie has all but declared war on three supervisors he has characterized as “two dummies” and a “40-year con man.”

At a special called meeting Wednesday, the Hinds County Board of Supervisors voted out Archie as vice-president and president-elect.

The votes to rescind and remove Archie were approved on a 3-2 vote. Voting in favor were Board President Credell Calhoun, District 4 Supervisor Vern Gavin and District 5 Supervisor Bobcat McGowan. District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham and Archie voted against the measure.

“David Archie, you are removed as (vice) president of the board of supervisors,” Calhoun said immediately following the vote.

A special meeting will be called Thursday to vote in a new vice president, he said.

Archie maintains that he is still vice president and has promised to fight the results in court. “I believe in David. David took down Goliath and I am going to take him down,” Archie said, referring to Calhoun. “We’re going to do everything in our power to enlighten the citizens of Hinds County as to what’s going on in Hinds County politics.”

The final vote came a little more than an hour into the meeting that was filled with insults, threats and confusion.

“At the end of the day, we have three supervisors who will be held accountable for the actions they take today,” Archie said. “We’re not going to let a dictator think he can control a county with three votes... There’s nothing he and these two dummies can do.”

Archie maintains that Calhoun wants to remove Archie because he has questioned the board president’s actions. He also says Calhoun wants to remain in power so he can control how the county spends its COVID-19 relief money. Hinds County has already received $22.5 million and is expected to receive another $25. million early next year, he said.

Meanwhile, the District 2 leader also called into question Calhoun’s record, making claims of corruption.

“We believe that he’s corrupt and we believe that he’s crooked,” Archie said. “All you have to do is go back to the city of Jackson when he was on the city council... And he’s trying to do the same thing on this board. And he’ll probably take two (supervisors) down the road with him.”

Archie was referring to a bribery scandal that brought down two councilmen in the late 1990s.

Calhoun served on the Jackson City Council from 1992 to 1997, according to a biography on the county’s website, but was never implicated in the scandal.

Former Councilman Louis Armstrong, who eventually pleaded guilty in connection to that scandal, is now a special projects officer in Calhoun’s office. He also is overseeing the county’s re-entry program for convicted felons.

Graham opposed the vote, saying that the president didn’t follow the proper procedure to remove his colleague.

He said Calhoun had not presented a reason to remove Archie, nor did he have the four votes needed to change the rules that were established at the board’s organizational meeting.

The board set the policy for electing president and vice president at its organizational meeting, which was the first meeting of the current term, back in January 2020.

At that meeting, the board voted to elect a president and vice president/president-elect, who would ascend to the presidency at the start of the following calendar year. A new vice president would be elected at the same meeting the president-elect takes office.

“You have to suspend the rules to rescind it,” he said. “In order to suspend the rules, you have two-thirds of the vote, which means you must have four of the five supervisors to rescind any particular order.”

Graham also argued the board also was not following Robert’s Rules of Order, which the board adopted as part of its organizational charter.

Board Attorney Tony Gaylor said he couldn’t find any police procedures governing how matters like removing presidents and vice presidents are placed on the agenda.

“I haven’t found where that is actually within your policies and procedures... You do it as a practice, but I haven’t found it in the policies and procedures,” he said.

Archie questioned Gaylor on his findings. “What you just told the public is that it’s a practice, but you did not find it in writing?” he said, saying that he had a copy of the documents in front of him.

“Mr. board attorney, if you can’t do your job and find the information, why do we need you?”

Following the vote, Archie attempted to make a statement, but before he could, Calhoun made a motion to adjourn and the live feed was cut off.

We have asked for a copy of the organizational charter and will provide a copy once we receive it.

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