This past Tuesday the 2025 Mississippi Municipal League Legislative Conference kicked off in Jackson with classes beginning at 1 p.m. That morning ahead of the conference the Mississippi Municipal League Education Committee had their meeting, that recommends and decides curriculum for the MML continuing education. I have served on the MML education committee since 2018 and was the chairman for the 2022-2023 term.
This past Tuesday, while representing my hometown of North Carrollton on the MML education committee, I was reminded of how recovery begins and ends on the local level and that recovery can come from many different directions.
As our MML education committee met this past Tuesday in Jackson ahead of the MML Legislative Conference, we discussed the curriculum for the summer classes at the annual conference in Biloxi in July 2025. Through the years we have modified the curriculum with the times. For example, in past years MML has offered classes on how American Rescue Plan Act 2021 (ARPA) funds can be used and invested for our municipalities.
As Carroll County’s emergency management director and being a member of the MML education committee I have been an advocate for emergency response classes for municipal officials. These efforts have been successful, resulting in the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) teaching classes at MML and also having a booth with our exhibitors to distribute information to cities and towns. Back in 2023 after the March 24 tornado at the MML Annual Conference in Biloxi that year the municipal league had a forum that I participated in as a panelist on tornado recovery.
An emergency situation can come at any time, it’s important when the need arises for municipal and county boards in declaring an emergency to begin the recovery efforts.
It takes resources including finances and dedicated people to recover from any disaster. It is worth noting that over the years there has been a lot of effort here in recovery. The Carroll County Board of Supervisors along with the three municipalities of this county; North Carrollton, Carrollton, and Vaiden have in the past during a two-year period signed five declarations of emergency.
Each disaster is different but responding and coming up with a plan for recovery, and stabilization is important. Also, with making repairs to make infrastructure better is an important role for the local government no matter the situation of disaster. These plans can come from different ways, for example when a federal declaration can be achieved it is important to go after it, if not it is important to seek other resources.
The local level as it has shown many times, are where the initiative begins to effectively respond and recover from a disaster. Here at the MML Midwinter Legislative Conference in 2025 local government is where recovery begins and ends at work for the betterment of the citizens.
Ken Strachan, serves as the mayor of North Carrollton, is a member of the Mississippi Municipal League board of directors, and serves on the MML education committee.
