Senate Resolution 3

A RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE CONDOLENCES OF THE SENATE TO THE BEREAVED FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF FORMER BILOXI MAYOR AND MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST CIVIC LEADER A.J. HOLLOWAY, JR., AND COMMENDING HIS LEGACY.

Whereas, we join the citizens of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in paying tribute to the memory of former Biloxi Mayor and Mississippi Gulf Coast Civic Leader A.J. Holloway, Jr., (79) who passed away on June 5, 2018; and

Whereas, A.J. Holloway oversaw an unprecedented number of quality-of-life improvements during his unprecedented 22 years as Biloxi's Mayor. He was elected to the City Council in 1989 and elected Mayor in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, and 2013, before retiring in 2015; and

Whereas, Holloway became Mayor a year after casino gaming was legalized. The industry re-energized the local economy, creating 15,000 jobs, generating $6 Billion Dollars in development, boosting the number of annual visitors to the community from one million a year to between eight and ten million a year, and accounting for billions in new revenue; and

Whereas, Mayor Holloway tripled the size of the Biloxi Police and Fire Departments. He called them the "best-trained, best-equipped and best-paid police and fire departments you'll find." He built a $10 Million Dollar Lopez-Quave Public Safety Center and new fire stations in East Biloxi, North Biloxi and Eagle Point; abolished fees for youth sports leagues and oversaw the construction of the Donal M. Snyder Sr. Community Center, the renovation and expansion of the Biloxi Community Center, and the construction of an 80-acre sports complex in North Biloxi that would later bear his name; and

Whereas, during Holloway's tenure, four new public schools were built, including a state-of-the-art high school, an $80 Million Dollar investment in public education; tens of millions were invested in new municipal facilities such as police and fire stations, libraries, community centers, parks, playgrounds and ball fields; new roads were built and decade-old roads were rebuilt; and residents throughout the city saw their property tax rate drop by 50 percent; and

Whereas, the Mayor also tapped into state and federal revenue for major projects. He and the late Delmar Robinson, whom Holloway had appointed years earlier as Chairman of the Biloxi Housing Authority, worked with Senator Trent Lott, then Senate Majority Leader, to establish the $35 Million Dollar Hope VI Affordable Housing Initiative in East Biloxi. The townhome developments replaced barracks-style housing that had been constructed generations earlier; and

Whereas, the mayor successfully lobbied then-Governor Kirk Fordice to have the state transform the derelict Howard Memorial Hospital on Back Bay into the Department of Marine Resources and other state agencies. He also successfully lobbied the state for assistance on major road projects, such as the widening of Caillavet Street, which was part of a massive streets improvement project that saw the widening of Cedar Lake Road and Popp's Ferry Road, and the construction of Back Bay Boulevard; and

Whereas, as Biloxi entered the 21st Century, the City was enjoying the most prosperous time in its 300-year history until August 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster to ever strike the United States, decimated Biloxi and surrounding communities. Katrina claimed 6,000 of 25,000 homes and businesses in Biloxi, and more than 15,000 were left without jobs in the gaming industry alone. Holloway's staunchly conservative nature and small-business upbringing were steadfast before and after the storm. He marshaled city departments, used state and federal aid and went about the business of clearing the city of debris in the days after the storm and set about a long-term recovery program. Six months after the storm, Holloway announced the "Reviving the Renaissance" initiative, prompting nearly 200 residents to step forward to help craft a blueprint to guide the city's rebuilding efforts in a way that recaptures the successes of the past; and

Whereas, Holloway said in 2004 and again in 2007: "Future generations are going to look back on this chapter in our history as a time when we made the right decisions, when we cherished and protected our culture, and we did things to improve and enhance our quality of life. They're going to see this as an historic time. We were on the right track before this storm, and we're going to stay on the right track"; and

Whereas, the challenges of a post-Katrina Biloxi may define Holloway's public service career, which began with the Biloxi Public Schools, where he served as Business Manager for six years. He also served at the Mississippi State Tax Commission for 12 years and attained the post of Senior Revenue Agent. He was later elected to the Biloxi City Council serving one term before being elected Mayor of Biloxi in 1993. Holloway was a high school football hero, a fierce competitor on the field, and was later said to have thrown a punch that led to the longtime cancellation of the Biloxi-Gulfport football rivalry. Holloway parlayed his high school year into a scholarship at the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's degree in education. At the same time, he excelled in athletics, having played in two Sugar Bowls and a Cotton Bowl while at Ole Miss and on the 1960 Rebels National Championship Football Team. Holloway brought that winning spirit to City Hall as Councilman and later as Mayor, promising fiscally conservative leadership and responsible government; and

Whereas, Holloway was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew Joseph Holloway, Sr., and Iris Letort Holloway. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Macklyn Holloway; his children, Heather Holloway (John Radicia) and Jeff Holloway; his grandchildren: Destin Holloway, Jordan Holloway, Hannah Radicia and Abigail Radicia; his sister, Dale Steckler; and brothers, Donnie Holloway and Kenny Holloway; and

Whereas, we are saddened by this loss, and we pay tribute and cherish fondly the memory of this most public-spirited citizen of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, whose enormous civic energy will be missed:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby extend the condolences of the Senate to the bereaved family and friends of former Biloxi Mayor and Mississippi Gulf Coast Civic Leader A.J. Holloway, Jr., and commend his legacy.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be transmitted to the surviving family of Mayor Holloway, forwarded to Biloxi Mayor Andrew "FoFo" Gilich and the Biloxi City Council, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.