Metro area has money wish list

Metro area has money wish list

Here’s the breakdown of state and federal requests:

Jackson
The city is asking for about $560 million from the federal government for infrastructure projects but so far has a lone item on its state wish list.

The city wants the option to raise the sales tax by 1 percent.

“It’s not everyone’s perfect choice,” Councilwoman Margaret Barrett-Simon said. “It certainly would be a tremendous economic boost for us.”

She said the city was not as successful getting money from the state in past years. Those re-quests often were not passed, while smaller bills that did not include money were approved.

“What we did before didn’t work, so I think it’s incumbent upon us to try a different approach,” Barrett-Simon said.

The city wants to levy a 1 percent sales tax on most goods and services. Officials expect the tax would bring in between $21 million and $25 million a year for infrastructure improvements, law enforcement and economic development.

If the tax is approved, 60 percent of city voters then must pass it in a referendum.

The plan is to exclude groceries, prescription drugs, restaurants and hotels from the sales tax. The sales tax rate in Mississippi is 7 percent.

Nikki Jackson, who owns The Riverboat Shop in downtown Jackson, said her customers do not want any new taxes.

She said people are nervous about their jobs, with several businesses in the downtown area closing or cutting positions.

Still, she said business has been steady. People have continued to buy snacks and drinks, although gift sales has slowed.

“Our customers would not be interested, not at all,” Jackson said. “I don’t think anybody would be, not in this economy.”

Stan Flint, Jackson’s government affairs consultant, said the city usually asks for more than 20 bills each year but has scaled down its requests this year.

In addition to the sales tax, the city may ask for two resolutions: one in support of a stadium for Jackson State University and another in support of a biotech campus for the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The city also may ask for a bill to raise pay for court-appointed attorneys from $200 to $500 per case.

Hinds County
Roads are a key issue, and officials hope to secure funds from the federal government. County supervisors have not specified an amount but have identified more than $1 million in necessary repairs.

On the state level, the county will support Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant’s push for legislation increasing the homestead exemption from $75,000 to $100,000 for residents older than 65.

With reappraisals this year throughout the area, some senior citizens had to pay property taxes. That’s hitting many residents on fixed incomes, District 1 Supervisor Robert Graham said.

“We’ve had people that are in their 80s that are having to pay taxes for the first time,” he said.

The county also will ask the Legislature to give the county more say in which roads get paved. The state decides which roads to pave and when.

Clarion Ledger
1/7/9