Members of the Hattiesburg City Council voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve embattled former tourism director Rick Taylor’s proposed $7.9 million budget for the Hattiesburg Convention Commission.
Taylor, who is at the center of a controversy surrounding his acceptance of more than $200,000 in allegedly-unauthorized bonuses from 2008 to 2013 while leading the tourism commission, still serves as executive director of the convention commission and is responsible for crafting the organization’s annual budget – which this year includes an additional $500,000 in salaries.
City Council President Carter Carroll, along with council members Mary Dryden, Jeffrey George, and Nicholas Brown voted to approve the budget.
Councilwoman Deborah Delgado was not in attendance.
A three-page budget summary was provided to the council prior to the vote, but councilmembers were not given a complete, itemized budget from Taylor and no questions were asked in public prior to the vote.
An email to Taylor requesting a complete copy of the approved budget and specifically a breakdown of how the additional $500,000 in salaries would be spent was not returned prior to deadline.
In his report, Taylor said the convention commission – which oversees the zoo, convention center, Saenger Theater, and two different museums – will begin the new budget year with $6.2 million in cash.
According to the report, two-thirds of the commission’s annual budget is generated through a 2 percent special sales tax applied to all food and beverages sold within the city limits.
An additional $2 million annually is generated from events held at the Saenger Theater, Lake Terrace Convention Center, Hattiesburg Zoo, and the African American History Museum.
In his report, Taylor said thanks to a strong economy, he anticipates receiving an additional $450,000 from the 2 percent food and beverage tax and an additional $350,000 in event-related income.
Citing the success of this spring’s Jimmy Buffett concert at the Saenger Theater, Taylor said liability and property insurance costs continue to soar.
“It was a game-changer for the Saenger in the eyes of national talent and producers,” wrote Taylor. “We want to capitalize on this to bring more shows into downtown Hattiesburg.”
The biggest increase to last year’s budget came in the form of increased staffing costs.
“A big part of this allocation will come from the move of operations and repair costs previously done by outsourced companies to in-house technicians,” explained Taylor. “This is reflected in new positions for these technical areas as well as new staff positions to oversee and operate the expanded Sixth Street Museum District and the Hattiesbug Zoo.”
Taylor said expected increases include HVAC services, landscaping, maintenance, as well as marketing.
“We also are budgeting for a four percent increase to address cost of living and merit increases for general operations staff at all facilities,” he said.
When it comes to special projects, Taylor said the commission has a busy year ahead with several budgeted projects including:
n $20,000 for the outdoor exhibit across Sixth Street from the African-American History Museum.
n $60,000 to move forward with the installation of Oseola McCarty’s house as a museum on Sixth Street.
n $500,000 to begin the design and exhibit phase of the new Civil Rights exhibit at the Eureka School Museum.
n $50,000 to repair auditorium ceiling plaster at the Saenger Theater that has become loose from the original service.
n $800,000 to finish the giraffe exhibit and holding pen at the zoo as well as $1.6 million to install a giraffe viewing and feeding deck, an additional dining outlet, a 400-plus seat Grand Event Pavilion, Lake Patio and retaining wall, additional restrooms and connecting sidewalks from the soon-to-be-completed northwest quadrant (Hardy Street area) to the Africa and Asia areas of the zoo.
n $200,000 to work with the City on beautification projects in and around the Zoo and Kamper Park including additional parking, buffer zones, singage, and transit access improvements.
