What is usually a boring subject has turned into a political firefight in Madison County. Sparks flew again at this morning's meeting of the Madison County Board of Supervisors. The cause of it all: Supervisors Karl Banks, Gerald Steen, and Paul Griffin approved road-funding plan that completely left out Madison the city over the heated protests of Supervisors Trey Baxter and Casey Brannon.
Supervisors Gerald Steen, Karl Banks, and Paul Griffin approved a county-funded road plan at the December 15, 2025 Board meeting. The road plan was not on the agenda nor were Supervisors Trey Baxter and Casey Brannon informed of its existence. The ambushed Supervisors protested but to no avail as the fix was in from the start. An exasperated Brannon said "I hope you choke on your Christmas presents."
The $6.5 million plan does not fund any roads in the city of Madison while taking care of the rest of the county. Supervisors Brannon and Baxter represent Madison. The city of Madison filed a notice of appeal on December 23 in Madison County Circuit Court. Earlier post. The notice charges the Gang of Three approved the plan with no notice to the public while avoiding all public discussion of the plan prior to its adoption. The city asked the Court to stop funding of the road plan or to reverse it.
Steen placed the recision of the road plan and adoption of an updated road plan on the agenda for today's meeting.
The meeting opened with Board attorney Michael Espy stating the Board did not violate the Open Meetings Act when it did not place the road-funding plan on the agenda three weeks ago. Mr. Espy quoted several Ethics Commission opinions that held a public body can discuss and vote on a matter not placed on the agenda. He said some people claimed otherwise in "irrational comments" made online.
The Board Attorney advised the Board discuss the road plan in executive session since the city of Madison filed a notice of appeal in Madison County Circuit Court. However, that was just the warm up as fireworks erupted when County Administrator Greg Higginbotham carried the torch for the new road plan.
Higginbotham said he studied county road funding between 2023 and 2025 for each municipality in Madison County. The County Administrator spelled out who got what in 2023-2025:
Madison: $69.4 million (84%)
Gluckstadt: $2 million(2%)
Ridgeland: $10 million (12%)
Flora: $900,000 (1%)
Canton: $900,000 (1%)
Mr. Higginbotham said the county spent 82% of road funding within Madison city limits.
Brannon took strong exception to Higginbotham's claims as he pointed out Higginbotham included Reunion Parkway phase II and III projects in Madison's appropriation even though those projects are not in the city of Madison. The appropriation for the two projects was $52 million. "That is not inside the city limits of Madison," said Brannon. He continued to pound that point throughout the discussion.
As Brannon protested over the inclusion of the Reunion projects, Steen told the County Administrator to ignore his colleague and "keep going."
The area is unincorporated but Madison and Gluckstadt are slugging it out in court over which city can annex the area. Although Madison won a Chancery Court ruling, Gluckstadt appealed.
Higginbotham said the projects are within the city of Madison. "The Mayor of Gluckstadt is here. Would he like to speak on whether that is in the city limits of Madison," replied Brannon. Higginbotham said the Reunion projects enrich Madison but Brannon replied "I can read a map." The Supervisor argued the projects enrich the citizens of Madison County, not the city of Madison. Brannon charged it was "dirty and underhanded and stealing our money."
Steen addressed the audience: "Guys, we deal in facts. We don't deal in noise, frivolous lawsuits. These are facts that our County Administrator has given." Brannon said the presentation "belongs in the trash with the road plan." Steen couldn't resist poking his fellow Supervisor "This shows that Madison has gotten 82% of the county's road money over the last three years."
"Thank you for the cherry-picked facts," said Brannon.
Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee and Gluckstadt Mayor Bubba Morrison thanked the Supervisors for funding road projects in their cities.
Steen moved to rescind the road plan adopting on December 15. The recision passed unanimously. Supervisor Banks moved to adopt the updated road plan while Bannon argued the Board needed to table any road funding until after discussing litigation in executive session His protests fell on deaf ears as Supervisors Steen, Banks, and Griffin approved the plan and rejected a motion to table the plan.
Board Approves Updated Road-Funding Plan
Espy Addresses Board
39 comments:
I’m with Brannon on this one. Steen is a knucklehead
The white areas of Madison county won’t get their roads paved Reverse racism
Imagine if this had been done to majority black part of a country Jessie Jackson would be here protesting with cnn
Brannon is a knucklehead who is Mary's little boy
I'm not a big fan of Casey Brannon. But he's correct in this.
Does the $52M value on Reunion II and III include all the money the state gave them? Or is that including only what Madison County put into it? Seems like there were an awful lot of earmarks given to that project if I recall correctly.
Mary can kick sand. The county is responsible for county roads, not municipal roads. Its simple.
@ 3:42 - You can kick sand, the county is responsible for all roads within the county, not excluding municipal roads. Its simple, city taxpayers pay taxes to the county as well as the city. Some supervisors only have city roads within their districts. While the county is responsible for roads, bridges and infrastructure in the county, the city roads are "in the county". And as admitted by the Three Amigos there is plenty of "county" money being spent within the city limits - of all the cities except for Madison.
Steen and Gluckstadt Mayor Bubba Morrison are tight.
Excellent reporting by KF. Keep up the good work.
I think they should meet in the parking lot, and settle it like gentlemen. Winner take all, 2 out of 3 falls losers leave town.
But it's ok to shut Canton out of funds but not Madison. Give me a break!
yet it takes 3 votes to get anything done. So can you explain why there are annual interlocal agreements IF the county is responsible for city roads? I'll wait..
The real retard of the board is Paul Griffin. His district is PITIFUL and he has done nothing meaningful except create a big money pit lake and park. He just collects a check and the blind sheep of his district vote him back in. Chip Matthews gave the seat a shot a couple years back but was spanked. How do the people that drive down Yandell not get furious every time they get in the car? Between the roller coaster humps and the mounds of litter in the ditches you'd think people would care.
Wrong---- Canton City has not been shut out of annual funded road plans. Do your research please. It's all on the past agenda content. Road plans also can and do change sometimes during the year. As a comment said here IT all takes 3 votes.
4:02, a county CAN pave a road inside a municipality, but they don’t have to. They are legally required to maintain assets belonging to the COUNTY, not the city. But of course, if it gets them votes, they will come inside the city.
According to you, but not the state constitution nor the statues. The county’s responsibility is to maintain the infrastructure belonging to the county. City taxpayers pay county tax because city taxpayers use county roads!
Only way to get rid of Steen is to contribute $$$ to his election competition, primary and general, next cycle and then put in some actual effort to get that/those candidate(s) across the finish line. It can be done.
Mr. Steen is one of those politico slimeballs who really enjoys being a slimeball.
Gerald Steen isn’t just a knucklehead, he’s a ____ head, Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee’s lap dog, and a RINO teaming up with Democrats.
Gluckstadt is run by speed trappers, a joke Judge and little men LEO’s that can’t get police work elsewhere.
Democrats destroy everything so when Madison County falls, be sure to remember the retards that threw David Bishop out of office because he wouldn’t support their little 500 acre nature preserve, AND, they’re wanting to be the last ones in!
@6:50 pm YOUR comment: Gerald Steen isn’t just a knucklehead, he’s a ____ head, Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee’s lap dog, and a RINO teaming up with Democrats. Reply- > True. Gerald Steen is gonna Gerald until you folks who care, who vote in his district will get a candidate to run against him who can and will win.
Gluckstadt is run by speed trappers, a joke Judge and little men LEO’s that can’t get police work elsewhere.
Reply-- Speed trappers- Your opinion, but it is wrong. Dare you to ask the Chief for data on how many speeding violations year to date. Current municipal judge is Marsha Weems. She isn't a joke not at all. Previous one yes... He's gone. Officers - Not true. How about you check verified experience of current said officers before you smart off. True some don't seem to have a lot of years experience. Does that make them a bad officer tho?
Democrats destroy everything so when Madison County falls, be sure to remember the retards that threw David Bishop out of office because he wouldn’t support their little 500 acre nature preserve, AND, they’re wanting to be the last ones in!
Reply- Correct.. 100%'
yep.
Steen is a problem for people wanting honest, open, and fair government. This guy loves the shadows.
The failure to show “common courtesy”is not actionable. 3 > 2
Shad needs to audit those three, personal and public finances.
7:47 PM: the people of Ridgeland are too short sighted to get rid of Gerald Steen. Too dumb to understand that turning Madison County over to Democrats (with a track record of destroying everything, see Jackson) will hurt S Madison County (where the taxes come from) and what hurts S Madison County will in the long run hurt Ridgeland. Look what’s happened to the east side of Ridgeland since Gene McGee took over (in what, 1989?), yet he still gets elected.
RE: the speed trapper city of Gluckstadt, please spare us the legal eagle BS “it is wrong.” Unless you are straight as an arrow…never going to fix a ticket for a friend or family member, or someone that’s done you a favor (at your home, hint hint), LEO’s that work for speed trapping cities like Gluckstadt are little men that can’t get jobs in a real city.
So Gluckstadt got rid of anti-civil libertarian so-called Judge Trea Sims huh? My sincere apology to Marsha Weems, assuming she is actually going to show up for court a be a real judge. Not do what dip ____ Sims did…send his “gal” out to tell everyone that’s taking off of work to be there that the “judge” isn’t showing, but there’s no need to come back since he’s going to rule against you anyway. And 7:47 PM, you must not have never heard of the Goon Squad, and may actually believe that all LEOs, are good and all citizens are guilty, right?
Pretty simple to see if the numbers for Madison are correct. Ask for a breakdown of the roads and the money. I’m sure the county administrator has it because that’s where he got the numbers. I believe the county funded Hoy Rd improvements among others in the City of Madison.
Is Higginbotham another Rudy Warnock in the making?
Looks like Gerald himself might be up in these here comments
awww.. Feel better?? I'm waiting for your feedback after you talk to the Chief and get accurate info. IF statute isn't being following we can expect you to be the first to file that complaint.
Whistleblowers are welcome to do that. Audit staff will meet with them anytime in a reasonable place if not their office.
naw but he sure has to and does the dance well.
Let it be remembered, speaking of lap dogs, that both Espy and Higginbotham are appointed by the Three Amigos. The Three Amigos fired the last Board Attorney and rehired this one, who was fired earlier. Just as Warnock was, this attorney is a Board lapdog. Just as The Three Amigos and others were corresponding lapdogs of Warnock.
The Three Amigos caused, in part, the resignation of the best County Administrator to ever enter the building. The current lapdog Administrator was hand-picked by The Three Amigos.
Last point: Espy is quoted above as taking to the podium and saying that a Board is within its rights to bring up and pass a motion that is not on the agenda. That's not being argued, legally...Ethically, yes. It was unethical.
Had Espy denied that the Three Amigos violated the open meetings law by discussing together and agreeing to motion and pass this road bill....He would have been lying. It would take someone with an IQ below 40 to believe the road plan was simply brought up, motioned and approved without prior agreement to do so.
Where was Gluckstadt mayor when the three amigos where allowing hundreds of low quality houses to be built in Gluckstadt school district. Yet he shows for a few hundred thousand in paving money? They are reconstructing the queens in Madison county!
The county funded a portion of the money spent on the Hoy project after hem-hawing for years and retreating from promise after promise to improve the road for the benefit of all in the county who use it and pay county taxes. That included citizens in the municipality of Madison.
Gerald's fingerprints are on the previous two posts.
Casey Brannon is doing a great job. He is doing what I voted for him to do. He has my vote for re-election.
And no, this is not Casey Brannon posting this. I’m an independent Madison voter.
A board attorney needs to be an elected position not hired by country bumpkins who won popularity contest among senior citizens.
A shoutout for Steen's transparency and honesty, here: Don't forget the Road Plan he held secret six years ago until it was discovered by Baxter and Jones. The intention was to exclude their districts from roadwork. And it almost worked. In short, this ain't Steen's first rodeo.
The plan was discovered and, as a result, the State Aid Road Engineer was run the hell out of Madison County for conspiring with Steen to keep the unethical plan secret.
And some of you goobs (Including the mayor of Ridgeland) are defending this man?
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