The Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution Monday that would keep the Confederate monument outside the county courthouse, despite calls for its relocation in recent weeks. 

According to the resolution, the current courthouse will serve as the county’s museum upon completion of the new courthouse complex on 22nd Avenue and “will thus be the appropriate location for displaying monuments, historical artifacts and memorials.”

The board “determines that all monuments, historical artifacts and memorials located in or on the grounds … shall remain in, or … be restored to, the building and grounds,” the resolution states.  

Demolition of the old Village Fair Mall is in progress and construction of a government complex at the site is expected to begin this fall, according to county leaders. 

District 4 Supervisor Joe Norwood voted in opposition of the resolution Monday and District 3 Supervisor Josh Todd was not present for the vote. 

N’spire Walker, president of Dream Team of the South, previously addressed supervisors and asked them to consider moving the monument to a Confederate cemetery. 

“That just reminds us of where we came from,” she said of the monument, during Monday’s meeting. “It’s not helping us to see where we should go.” 

Walker said she would like to see monuments dedicated to slain civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner. 

Marie Franklin, who ran for District 5 supervisor last year, said keeping the statue where it is means maintaining divisiveness and hate. 

“That statue has been there for years and years and years and we have not caused any problems about it,” Franklin said. “It is time that you all respect and honor our people. It is time that you recognize you do not represent one race of people.”

Norwood encouraged everyone to try to find common ground with others. 

“That statue, for me, is a reminder that this country was not built for me,” he said. 

Resident Paula Arms spoke in support of keeping the statue where it is, citing Mississippi code and the cost of relocation. 

“It’s neither cost efficient, nor should the people of Lauderdale County have their taxes raised to pay for this cost,” she said. 

Miss. Code Ann. 55-15-81 prohibits the alteration of historical monuments and memorials erected on public property, but says “the governing body may move the memorial to a more suitable location if it is determined that the location is more appropriate to displaying the monument.” 

Board President Kyle Rutledge of District 5 said he did not know what the cost would be to move the monument, but that the Confederate cemetery is not on county property. 

“It’s difficult,” Rutledge said. “We listened to everybody and there’s both sides of the issue. We just felt like since that’s going to be archives and we’re held by law … we’re limited on where it could be moved.”

Other matters

The board also approved Leading Edges as the advertiser of record for all tourism grants resulting from state or federal COVID-19 grants.

Supervisors approved Waggoner Resilience Inc. for professional consulting services related to COVID-19.

The board also approved several changes to the county’s fire protection grading districts and approved resolutions of intent to:

• annex an area into the Lauderdale, Meehan and Suqualena fire protection grading districts

• abolish the existing Bailey, Collinsville, Lost Gap, Martin, Northeast Lauderdale, Russell, Sam Dale, South Lauderdale, Southeast Lauderdale and Toomsuba fire protection grading districts and recreate them

“We tweaked the districts … in order to put the most amount of citizens that we possibly could into that district so that they would receive a break on their insurance,” said Lauderdale County Fire Coordinator Allan Dover.