Despite delays from the rainy weather over the last few weeks, Hattiesburg officials are making headway with two projects made possible by the 1-cent sales tax increase on hotels, motels and restaurants that was implemented last year in the Hub City.
On a video posted this week to Facebook, Mayor Toby Barker and Sid Gonsoulin, who serves construction manager for the city’s Parks and Recreation facilities, said the city’s share of those funds was $115,869.99 in October and $118,461.54 in November.
Initial projections expected the tax to generate about $100,000 a month for the city and another $100,000 for the University of Southern Mississippi.
Through the first four months, the tax is generating an average of $117,000 per month.
The monies are helping pave the way for a ballpark at the intersection of East 9th Street and Memphis Street, as well as the basketball and tennis courts on East 8th Street.
“We appreciate the citizens of Hattiesburg for putting this (tax increase) forward, Barker said. “Our desire is to be transparent and accountable to you for every cent that is spent.”
Officials are currently working to improve drainage at the East 9th Street ballpark, as the rains have caused water to flood through the parking lot and into the dugout, all the way down to first base.
“This project, as it stands right now, will absolutely keep the water off the field from the parking lot and from the street,” Gonsoulin said. “Of course, we have two more phases that’ll be taking place right after this phase is completed.”
Phase II of the project will consist of leveling the playing field to prevent standing water, while Phase III is aimed at improving and enhancing the lighting at the ballpark. If all goes according to plan, officials hope to have the park ready by the time spring baseball starts.
“We’re looking at weather,” Gonsoulin said. “Whenever we can get on the field to do the field, then we’ll work toward completing our project. We’ve got to get heavy equipment out to replace the lights, so it’s all weather-related.”
As for the East 8th Street basketball/tennis court, which is a shared facility with Ebenezer Baptist Church, officials are holding out until the temperature gets above 65 degrees – and for a little dry spell without rain.
“And that’s for the sports court surfacing on top of the asphalt there,” Gonsoulin said. “The basketball backboards are in, and we’re just ready to get this finished, weather permitting.”
The ballpark and the basketball/tennis courts are two of 17 Parks and Recreation projects that were proposed when the new 1-cent tax increase was passed by voters in April with an 81 percent approval rate. Other city projects include a girls’ softball field at Hattiesburg High School, drainage improvements to the soccer fields at Tatum Park and a Miracle League inclusion ball field for children with special needs.
The fund was projected to generate $7.2 million over three years. Half of those monies – some $3.6 million – will be used to fund the City’s 17 projects and the other half has been earmarked for improvements at the University of Southern Mississippi, mainly Reed Green Coliseum. The tax is set to “sunset,” or expire, on June 30, 2022, but a vote from both Hattiesburg City Council and the Mississippi Legislature could approve a four-year extension prior to that.
Through four months, the penny sales tax has already generated more than $900,000, slightly exceeding initial projections.
So far, the funds from the tax also have helped fund the replacement of the gymnasium floor at Thames Elementary School, begin the construction of a walking trail extension at Duncan Lake, and the upcoming replacement of part of the roof at the former Hattiesburg American building, which is being converted into a public arts center.
