SOUTHAVEN, MS (abc24.com) - He's not leaving office and they can't make him, but that doesn't mean they have to take it.
Southaven residents are angry Mayor Greg Davis is back at work this week, announcing he will not resign.
There's nothing anyone can do about that legally, but one woman has started a petition asking Davis to call it quits. It may not hold any legal weight, but Oriana Hill is hoping the public pressure will force the issue.
"He's refusing to almost publicly acknowledge how much he's hurting the city. It almost seems selfish to me," Hill tells abc24.com. "I felt like people are feeling kind of helpless."
So on Monday, January 30th, she signed onto www.change.org, and created a petition called Greg Davis, Resign from the Mayor's Office.
"That's really the public opinion," she says. "By him staying in office, he pretty much doesn't really care what the public wants, in my opinion. He's not giving it to them."
By Wednesday afternoon, over 40 people had signed it.
"People need to be able to say what they feel to his face," Hill says. "If they can't get a one on one meeting with him, I think this petition is a good way to make your voice heard."
"Would I sign a petition for him to resign?" asks Gregory Green. "I think so. I think so because citizens do need a voice."
"I probably would," agrees Angela Wren.
"It (the mayor's office) is a public, elected position," adds Green. "So he needs to be accountable to some degree to the public."
Davis has been ordered to repay the city more than $150,000. The mayor is also under a criminal investigation. Until that's resolved, the city won't be getting at least $850,000 from the state. That's going to stall road and walking trail projects.
"Who knows what else is going to be unfolded in the future?" asks Hill. "How much longer is our city going to have to suffer because of this one man in office?"
