Hinds Co. Board of Supervisors switch to virtual meetings, blaming fights and COVID

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - As COVID cases once again rise dramatically in Mississippi, the president of the Hinds County Board of Supervisors says all of their future public meetings will be virtual.

Board President Credell Calhoun initially said the increase in COVID cases was the reason, then later mentioned the decision also came from trying to keep civility during the meetings - a reference to recent disruptions involving Supervisor David Archie.

Calhoun says the public will be able to watch the meetings online and up to 10 people can watch it on screens in the board room.

As president of the board, he will also have the power to mute supervisors if things get out of hand in the virtual meeting.

“Nobody will be silenced,” stated Calhoun. “Everyone will get 10 minutes to speak to each issue.”

“And if you start to have outbursts like have been at these meetings, what will you do?” asked a reporter.

“I’ll do what I was planning to do and try to quash what’s going on,” Calhoun responded.

Calhoun says three supervisors signed off on the decision: Calhoun, Vern Gavin and Bobcat McGowan.

That discussion did not happen during a public meeting.

Archie released a statement Tuesday evening regarding the virtual meetings. In the statement, he said that Calhoun is “trying to pull a coup and is trying to overthrow country government.”

Archie also expressed that Calhoun is “misleading the public on official meetings.”

Read the entire statement below:

“Supervisor Credell Calhoun, whose presidency ends December 31, in a few days, is now trying to pull a coup and is trying to overthrow county government. He is misleading the public on official meetings. We expect the media and the public to be there tomorrow.”

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