Mayor Toby Barker said the recent special session of the Mississippi Legislature “might have been the most impactful special session of our lifetime,” with two pieces of legislation being passed that will eventually give Hattiesburg millions of dollars for infrastructure and road improvements throughout the city.
Reps. Missy McGee, Chris Johnson and Percy Watson – along with Sens. Juan Barnett and Billy Hudson – joined Barker at a news conference Friday at Hattiesburg City Hall to discuss the benefits of the Mississippi Modernization Act and the BP Settlement Bill that were passed at the session, which wrapped up Wednesday.
“Many, like myself, did not know what to expect in terms of probable outcomes (for the session),” Barker said. “It’s very easy, from experience, for the wheels to fall off during any legislative session.
“But for Hattiesburg, its impact will certainly be felt into the future.”
The Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act, formally known as House Bill 1, includes a diversion of use tax for local infrastructure improvement, with a growing percentage year over year through year four. Starting next year, the level of funding is as follows:
· 2019: 3.75 percent in Year 1: $475,000
· 2020: 7.5 percent in Year 2: $950,000
· 2021: 11.25 percent in Year 3: $1.425 million
· 2022: 15 percent in Year 4 and beyond: $1.9 million
Under House Bill 1, $3 million will be divided between each of Mississippi’s 300 cities, with each municipality receiving $10,000. The remainder will be divided based on proportion of population.
“And Hattiesburg is currently the fourth most populous city in the state,” Barker said. “And more importantly for us, half of that is going to be divided proportionally to sales tax diversion, which Hattiesburg is currently second in Mississippi for that.
“The great thing about this funding is that it can be used for roads and bridges, but also for water and sewer, so there’s some flexibility there. This influx of state investments over the next four years and beyond will be absolutely crucial for us in order to catch up, in order for us to put streets on a regular maintenance schedule where we can get on a 10-year paving cycle, or even an 8-year paving cycle for high-traffic roads.”
Barker said Barnett was instrumental in helping Hattiesburg receive funds from House Bill 1.
“I’m glad that we were able to make sure that Hattiesburg got some direct funding as a result of the BP spill,” Barnett said. “But what I am most cheerful about is the fact that those of you that elected us to serve you in the Hattiesburg area, we didn’t go to Jackson with parties on our mind – we went to Jackson with the people of Hattiesburg at heart.
“And as a result of that, we came back with monies that will benefit not just Hattiesburg City Hall, but the residents of Hattiesburg.”
The BP Settlement Bill, formally known as Senate Bill 2002, helped to receive funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and will give Hattiesburg $500,000 for two street repair projects. Of those funds, $400,000 will go toward resurfacing of the section of Hardy Street that runs from 21st Avenue to downtown, while $100,000 will be used to improve North 38th Avenue.
“That just didn’t come up in the special session – all of us here in the entire Pine Belt delegation, Senate and House – have been working to ensure those funds for the Hardy Street portion and the 38th Avenue portion,” said McGee, who helped to name those two particular streets in Senate Bill 2002. “So we’ve been working on that … and I’m really glad to see that we were able to secure that during this special session.”
