By Nick Cumberland

Connie Rockco began her political career with less than optimistic views on its future. “I ran against some extremely tough competition,” remembers Rockco. Rockco was able to win the district seat and with it a great outlook on her future public service. “I always felt that you are born to try and make this world a little better than the way you found it, and that was my goal when I ran for office.”

Rockco was faced with some tough issues when first taking office. “I remember the second meeting we had to address the rebel flag issue facing South Mississippi. Then the terrorist attacks of September 11th while I was in Washington, D.C.” No matter the challenge, Rockco has rose to the next level to address the problems head on.

The Harrison County Board of Supervisors has been involved with many different aspects of recovery since Hurricane Katrina.

“Dr. Marlin Ladner and myself were instrumental in getting $247 million in funding to help install and repair water and sewer facilities,” Rockco said. “Now the county for the first time can provide water and sewer for its constituents. The inabilities of residents to use a public water and sewer treatment plant have caused concerns for the natural water bodies and estuaries that surround our coast. Septic tanks and grinder pumps can allow improperly treated water to find their ways into our water. “The county has 11 bodies of water in Harrison County that are impaired by fecal ecoli and the environment has always been a big concern of mine.”

The most recent issue facing the board was the Harrison County Jail. The highly publicized jailbreak, which included an inmate charged with murder, attracted much needed attention to the deteriorating conditions at the county facility. “The Board of Supervisors allotted $10 million dollars to improve security and functionality of our jail. Our jail ends up as and endpoint for all criminal proceedings in the county.”

Woolmarket had recently received a $1.5 million dollar grant to build a senior citizens center. “I think of our senior years as the prime of life.” The center, which is will be named the “Prime of Life Center,” was named after the golden years of retirement generally called the prime of life.

Harrison County also received a $60,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Quality for household hazardous waste collection programs. The county is currently dealing with IT issues surrounding the failed MSAP program that promised to interlink county and city law enforcement and judicial databases. “It wasn’t necessarily a Harrison County program. It started with the Sheriffs of Harrison, Hancock and Jackson Counties. We are disappointed in the failure of the program, but we will find another way to interlink our databases.”
Rockco has great expectations moving forward and credits the progress of Harrison County to the entire Board of Supervisors working together as a team. “The Board has great members, and we constantly try and do the right things for the citizens.”