Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton, seen here last year in front of the Quitman train depot, predicts good things are in store for the small town south of Meridian.

    Quitman Mayor Eddie Fulton is optimistic about the city’s future.     Residents and city officials from the city of Quitman gathered together Tuesday night during a comprehensive plan meeting to discuss the city’s future.

    “Tuesday night was just a great opportunity for our citizens just to come together and voice what they felt our city needed,” Fulton said.

    During the meeting several topics were discussed that ranged from attracting new businesses to making adjustments to some of the city’s roads.

    “We discussed things that residents felt needed to be changed and things that were working for the city,” Fulton said. “One of the first topics we talked about was a one-way street that runs through a street downtown. The sign down that street says don’t come here, which is not a very welcoming for people who want to shop at businesses up and down that street. So we talked about possibly reconstructing that into a two-way street.”

    Another major topic during the meeting was the Quitman School District, and possible changes there, including the addition of a new television station.

    Fulton said the television station will feature school events, debates, weather announcements, and Sunday services from First Baptist Church of Quitman.

    Teachers will also be able to stream games and videos from the Internet to help teach their students, according to Fulton.

    “There is one game these teachers might use for their students that teaches the children how to divide numbers, and it has a zombie theme to it,” Fulton said. “I know it sounds silly, but it helps the children learn in a fun manner.”

    Fulton said the city is also creating a new website residents will find easy to use.

    “Our city had a website that was owned by the state ten years ago, but the domain name was difficult to remember and the content wasn’t simple for users,” Fulton said. “So we have a new domain name with our new website that is simple. We are also working on content, because the content of a website is critical.”

    Fulton said he is encouraged to see Quitman continuing to grow. He cited the new addition of C-Spire Internet and McDonald’s as proof that the city is on the right track.     

    “It is exciting,” Fulton said. “I am a small town mayor. I have lived in 18 different places in my life and I have never lived in a place I didn’t like. However, I have never lived in a place I wanted to live in like Quitman. I love the city. I love the people and I love the assets we have. The McDonald’s here in Quitman is expected to earn somewhere between $1.5 to $2 million in the first year.”

    Fulton said he does not intend to raise taxes to help pay for the city’s upgrades.

    “We will receive grants for some of these things and money that has been saved,” Fulton said. “As long as the city officials, residents, businesses and the school stick together, there is nothing that can stop us.”

    Although there were many praises for how the city is and will continue to grow, residents also showed concern in some areas. City flooding and lighting two of the concerns most voiced by citizens at the meeting, Fulton said.