Property owners address concerns about the Lakes Estates community

Four members of the Lake Estates Property Owners Association appeared before the Marshall County Board of Supervisors November 3 to air concerns about the neighborhoods.

Jason and Dana Tudor expressed concerns about spiritual decay in the area, safety and security, litter, and lighting, and reposting community standards on new signs.

The township has been in existence 45 years, they said.

The Association wants to control neighborhood noise and paper litter.

The Tudors expressed concerns about property theft, drugs, gangs, vandalism, public nuisance and harassment, gun play and littering.

Tudor said the Association is gaining support from within the community.

There’s a huge dog problem, homeless camping and squatters. Speed limits and traffic control need to be enforced, they said.

Tudor said the Association is trying to do a lot about the problems on its own, about people not violating community standards.

“We’re trying to clean up the neighborhood. We are going to clean up this neighborhood,” Jason Tudor said.

He asked for county help with controlling entrances to the subdivision.

“I’ve seen a difference,” said District 5 supervisor Ronnie O’Neil Bennett.

Trees have been trimmed, new swings and playground equipment have been installed.

Tudor said the Association needs, cameras at the entrances.

One entrance goes all around the lake. George Mann Road brings a lot of unwanted traffic into the neighborhood, he said.

“That road is a being used as gateway in and out,” Tudor said.

“It used to be closed,” Bennett said. “I’m asking you to close it again,” Tudor said.

“It’s a safety issue. People are going up to Lake Center Store.”

Board attorney Amanda Whaley Smith said people who live on George Mann Road need a petition.

“It is a process,” Bennett said.

Smith said she can provide a form for signatures to be gathered on a petition to close the road.

“It’s a two mile stretch around the lake,” Tudor said.

Smith said statutes lay out the procedure. People must ask for it and a certain percentage of the residents must want it.

“It would cut traffic down 75 percent the first two weeks,” Bennett said.

Tudor said the goal is to gate the community and use cop cameras.

“Cameras are very expensive,” Bennett said.

Smith advised Tudor to get two sets of petitions, one covering George Mann Road and one covering the entire Lake Estates community.

The mission statement of the Property Owners Association is to preserve and enhance the natural beauty, safety and shared value of Holly Springs Lake Estates, maintain common areas and protect the 35-acre lake and surrounding environment, and uphold fair and consistent standards for all property owners to ensure Holly Springs Lake Estates remains a peaceful, vibrant place to live.

Legislative matters

Representative John Faulkner and county consultant Gary Anderson joined the meeting of the board of supervisors to address funding concerns it has for the 2026 legislative session.

Faulkner said he has prepared a five-page letter regarding a number of issues. Anderson said the legislature usually meets to discuss funding concerns in November and December, but has not done so yet, as it has in the past.

They want to know what reduction in funds are expected in public education, economic development, healthcare and employment.

Faulkner presented five points:

• school choice and public education. “I’m very, very concerned that in school choice, public school money will be moved into private schools,” he said. “There’s quite an appetite for this in the legislature. I don’t think we should be weakening public schools.”

• healthcare. Rural hospitals are closing. A total of 23 local rural hospitals are in danger of closing, Faulkner said.

• infrastructure. “I don’t worry so much because you are doing good,” Faulkner said.

• loss of SNAP benefits for children due to the government shutdown.

• voting rights act. He said the matter is before the Supreme Court. “If they rule in favor of Louisiana, it will affect us,” Faulkner said.

“I need a new public school in this county,” said District 2 supervisor Johnny Walker. “We need a school. These schools are about to be packed. They are steadily building houses. We’re worried about public schools, but nobody wants to talk.”

Faulkner said that educational needs have to be addressed at the local level, that the legislature does not cover it.”

District 4 supervisor George Zinn III said public schools have been underfunded for years.

Faulkner said there is support for school choice in the senate and governor’s mansion.

“Building a new school will not fly,” he said.

“I feel you,” Bennett said. “We do need more new schools here.”

“Here we are the fastest growing county in the state,” Walker said. “Marshall County is in the top 20 in industry in the country. What we got here is H.W. Byers falling apart.”

“Absolutely falling apart,” Bennett said.

Walker said the county has 70 acres off Boswell Road that could be used for a new school campus to expand H.W. Byers. And Potts Camp needs money to refurbish its schools.

“I believe a 70-acre parcel would be enough to build a new school up there,” Bennett said.

Zinn said the county had a wish list at the legislature last year which included Red Banks Road. He wondered if the projects need to be requested again.

Faulkner said no special projects were funded in the legislature last session.

Justin Hall said the Byhalia and Potts Camp railroad overpass bridges and Red Banks Road were priorities last session.

Anderson said Faulkner and representative Bill Kinkade tried on the House side to get the projects funded, but the the Senate removed the projects from the bill.

Faulkner said, if the county goes to Jackson with the local delegation, there’s a better chance of support.