City Government · City Hall, 201 Second Street
Your mayor, your board, and where to find them.
A mayor, five aldermen, and departments that answer the phone — nearly all of them in one building at the end of Second Street.
Before you drive over
Almost all of it is in one building.
City Hall, the Police Department and the Water Department share the same building at the end of Second Street. One trip covers most city business. City Hall is open 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, except posted holidays.
- Pay a water bill or confirm current payment options — the Water Department, in that building · 601.736.8201.
- Police Department — same building. Non-emergency 601.736.8204; emergencies 911.
- Building and gas permits, inspections, and zoning questions — the City Inspector's office.
- Business licenses — a different staff member at City Hall handles these; ask for the Deputy City Clerk's office.
- Municipal Court — around the corner from the Water Department · 601-736-4418.
One thing worth clearing up: the handsome domed building at the foot of Main Street is the Marion County Courthouse — county property, and the county's government, not the city's. It sits inside the city limits, which is why people reasonably assume City Hall is in there. It isn't. City business happens on Second Street.
Elected officials
Your city leadership
Mayor Justin McKenzie — a Marion County native who started public service at 15 as a junior volunteer firefighter and rose through the Columbia Police Department before his election. Now serving his third term.
Board of Aldermen
- Ward 1 — Wendell Hammond
- Ward 2 — Jason Stringer
- Ward 3 — Anna Evans
- Ward 4 — Mike Smith
- At Large — Andrea Porter (Alderwoman)
Appointed officials and advisors — the people who sit with the board
- City Attorney — Lawrence Hahn
- City Clerk — Maria Temples
- Police Chief — Adrian Fortenberry
- Fire Chief — Lyle Berard
- City Engineer — Jeff Dungan, Dungan Engineering, P.A. · 601-731-2600
- Water Operator — Michael McDaniel, contracted
The city engineer and water operator are contracted roles rather than city employees — a normal arrangement for a city this size. Dungan Engineering also serves as county engineer for Marion, Lawrence and Walthall counties.
Departments
Reach the right people, first try.
City Hall / Water — 201 Second Street · 601.736.8201 · Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., except posted holidays
Building, gas, inspections and zoning — City Inspector's office at City Hall · 601.736.8201
Business licenses — Deputy City Clerk's office at City Hall · 601.736.8201
Police Department — 201 Second Street · 601.736.8204
Fire Department — Station 1, 801 Pearl Street · 601.736.4556 · Emergencies: 911
Municipal Court — 201 Second Street · 601-736-4418
Street Department — Department head Brandon Turnage · City Hall · 601.736.8201. Streets, potholes, signs and drainage inside the city limits.
Parks & Recreation / The Yards — R.A. Johnson Drive
Beyond city hall
Growth is a team effort.
City government runs permits, zoning, and public safety. Business growth and job recruitment run through a separate partner — the Marion County Development Partnership, the county's chamber of commerce and economic development office, at 412 Courthouse Square · 601.736.6385.
It isn't a city department. It's a partnership of business leaders, elected officials, and staff working the same goal from a different desk — and it has been at it, under one name or another, since 1906.
Schools
Where Columbia's kids go.
Schools are not run by the city. Columbia is served by two independent public school districts, each with its own elected or appointed board — the Columbia School District (601.736.2366) and the Marion County School District (601.736.7193). City Hall does not set school policy, school calendars, or school taxes, and cannot answer questions about any of them.
There are also two independent schools in Columbia, and Head Start and preschool programs serving families before kindergarten.
➜ Schools & Education — every district, school and early-childhood program serving Columbia, with the phone number and website for each.
Meetings & minutes
City business, on the record.
The Board of Aldermen meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month at City Hall, and meetings are open to the public.
Follow along two ways: Board Recaps for what's happening in plain language, and Meeting Minutes for the official record, posted after approval. Records requests today? Call 601.736.8201.
City business