Walls Mayor Sets Listening Sessions on Town’s Future

Residents of Walls will get a one-on-one chance to tell town leaders how they want their community to grow. Mayor Keidron Henderson has scheduled a series of Walls listening sessions at Walls Town Hall in October, just weeks after a crowded Planning Commission meeting where residents spoke out against the possibility of a data center coming to the DeSoto County town.

The sessions were announced in an open letter the mayor posted on Facebook and were first reported by the DeSoto Times-Tribune. Residents must sign up ahead of time for a slot.

Walls Listening Sessions Schedule

Three dates have been set, all at Walls Town Hall:

• Monday, Oct. 12: 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 19: 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Saturday, Oct. 24: 10 a.m.

Registration is required for each session. Residents who want to take part should contact Walls Town Hall or watch the town’s official Facebook page for sign-up details.

Mayor Henderson: “Your Voices Are Being Heard”

In his letter, Henderson said he wants to weigh every piece of feedback before the town moves ahead with any major development.

“I want you to know that your voices are being heard,” Henderson wrote, adding that progress sometimes means slowing down to listen and gather information.

He described his approach as one built on openness. “My commitment is to listen rather than silence,” the mayor wrote, pledging to keep communication open and to pursue growth that fits what he called the shared vision for the “Precious Town of Walls.”

Henderson told the newspaper the sessions are meant to look past any single property and focus on the town’s long-term health. “I want people to know that it is your town and it matters,” he said. He said residents’ goals for growth, including what services and amenities they want, will be the main message he carries to the Board of Aldermen.

Data Center Worries Drive the Conversation

The listening sessions follow the Sept. 22 Walls Planning Commission meeting, where a rezoning request tied to a roughly 1,200-acre parcel drew strong opposition. Speakers pointed to the xAI data center and power plant in nearby Southaven, raising concerns about noise, the environment and quality of life. Some also questioned whether the town had signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with developers, which are common in large economic development projects.

Henderson has pushed back on both points. He said there are currently no plans for a data center in Walls and that no data center developer has approached the town. He also said no NDA exists and that no one, including himself, the Board of Aldermen or town staff, has been authorized to sign one.

“No data center developer has ever approached us and if one did, we would be completely transparent,” Henderson said.

The mayor acknowledged that the strongest message he has heard from residents so far is that they do not want data centers in Walls, and he said that feedback, along with comments from the Planning Commission meeting, will be part of the discussion going forward.

Why It Matters for Walls

Walls, in western DeSoto County along U.S. 61, is one of the county’s smaller municipalities but sits in a fast-growing region where large tracts of land are drawing attention from developers. How town leaders handle requests for large-scale projects could shape the community for decades. The October sessions give residents a direct, scheduled way to share their views with the mayor before decisions reach the Board of Aldermen.

Related coverage: Walls Planning Commission rejects rezoning request and xAI offers to buy Southaven homes near power plant.

Source: DeSoto Times-Tribune