Mayor Finishes First Two Years In Office

SHELTON By Rod Guajardo Daily Journal TUPELO – Halfway through his four-year term as mayor of Tupelo, Jason Shelton has seen plenty of highs and lows in his hometown. The roller coaster he and his administration have been riding for the last two years started early on with back-to-back tragedies and recently ascended with back-to-back municipal awards. From dealing with the shooting of a Tupelo Police Department Officer and the recovery from the 2014 tornado to bringing home the city’s fifth All-America City title and the Mississippi Municipal League Overall Award for Excellence, Shelton said he had no idea his first two years as mayor would be such a whirlwind of emotions and community engagement. But looking back, the east Tupelo native – youngest mayor in the city’s history – knows that it ultimately brought the community closer together. “That roller coaster we went through makes what we’ve been able to accomplish even more special, because it really shows you that as a city or individuals, yes, we’re going to get knocked down from time to time, but I think we’ve shown that we’re able to get up, dust ourselves off and come back even stronger than before,” Shelton said.