SOUTHAVEN — A north Mississippi mayor, who’s facing a myriad of legal problems and announced he would not seek a fifth term, did an about-face Friday and filed for re-election as an Independent.
The Commercial Appeal reports Mayor Greg Davis, who’s been mayor of Mississippi’s third largest city for 16 years, had indicated a day earlier that he was considering a change of heart.
Davis said he decided to seek a record fifth term because he had unfinished business. Specifically, he said, he wants to see the city build a senior citizen activity center and is angry that the Board of Alderman voted this week against issuing a $6.5 million bond to make the center a reality.
Davis, 47, has run as a Republican throughout his political career until now. He faces six other candidates who have filed as Republicans in the mayoral race.
In addition to the multiple candidates in the race, Davis must fight charges of embezzlement, false pretense and making fraudulent statements related to a car purchase, city gas and a check from a city account.
He is also the subject of a federal investigation, over spending and other dealings as mayor, and Davis’ ex-wife, Suzann Savage Davis, is suing him over money and custody issues involving the couple’s daughters.
In May, he also is slated to head back to Jackson for a civil trial in which he is being sued by Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering. Pickering is seeking to recover more than $70,000 in money that the state says the mayor still owes for unsubstantiated personal expenses, including trips, shopping and marriage counseling that he charged to the city.
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