Jackson Jambalaya

The Ethics Commission said a land deal between Southaven and an LLC owned by Doug and Sluggo Davis did not violate any ethics laws even though they are cousins of the Mayor. The Desoto Times reports:

"With the dissenting vote of two aldermen Tuesday, Southaven city officials approved the contract to buy 10 acres of land for $1.9 million off Getwell Road which could be the home of a future senior senior citizens center and other park and recreational amenities.

The land purchase has been controversial from the start, not only for the $1.9 million negotiated price, but due to the fact earlier appraisals on the property put the value far lower at approximately $315,000. A later appraisal commissioned by the city brought in an appraised value of of $2.6 million.

The City of Southaven will pay cash for the property, with Davis and city officials opting not to wait on revenue amassed from the 1-cent tourism tax on restaurant tabs known as the Penny for the Parks measure which was approved last year.

The land transaction was also the subject of a finding by the Mississippi Ethics Commission which ruled that city officials would not violate ethics laws if they approved the transaction which involves a distant cousin of Southaven Mayor Greg Davis.

One of the sellers of the property, Chancery Clerk W.E. Sluggo Davis, is "a fourth or fifth cousin" of the mayor.

"A cousin is not a relative for the purposes of ethics in government laws," Tom Hood, executive director and chief counsel for the Mississippi Ethics Commission opined in an April 13 letter to former Southaven city board attorney Mark Sorrell.

"The Senator (former state Sen. Doug Davis) is no longer associated with this," Davis said. "He hasn't been in the last four or five deeds."

Mayor Davis disclosed the Ethics Commission letter publicly just prior to the land transaction being voted upon....." Article