The Pearl River County Board of Supervisors held a supplementary meeting Monday morning to discuss a number of large county projects that could see progression in the coming year.
The Board’s first order of business concerned the by-laws for the county’s economic development council.
The Board is working with several leaders throughout the county, including both municipalities and the chambers of commerce, to establish a non-profit organization that will encourage economic growth in Pearl River County.
The by-laws for the organization, drafted by the Southern Mississippi Planning and Development District, were presented to the Board last week, since then minor revisions were made.
Before final approval of the revised by-laws, the Board made plans to make presentations to the Picayune City Council and Poplarville Board of Aldermen in early February.
The Board also discussed a local bill that would increase sales taxes on hotels or lodging as well as prepared food.
The funds raised from the increased tax would directly benefit the economic development council. Currently, the county isn’t collecting any revenue from sales taxes.
County Administrator Adrain Lumpkin said the tax would be established through the Mississippi Department of Revenue, which would collect the funds, keep three percent and then send the remaining funds to the Board. The Board would then write a check to the economic development council, thereby ensuring an accurate record of how much was collected and spent, Lumpkin said.
Board Attorney Joe Montgomery said the issue needs to go before the state legislature in the next month before the deadline closes, otherwise the county will have to wait until next year.
No action was taken on the matter.
In a separate matter, the Board discussed plans to build two annexes for county departments.
Lumpkin said architecture plans estimate the project would cost $12.43 million, financed over 20 or 25 years, to build both buildings.
He presented the Board with two financing options that could vary based upon interest rates, county growth, taxes and other variables.
“I’d like to see what the general public thinks about us borrowing $12 million over 20 or 25 years because in the end that’s who we represent,” District II Supervisor Malcolm Perry said.
Board Vice President Hudson Holliday said the county needs to move quickly because building costs and interest rates will continue to rise.
“The longer we wait, the more it’s going to cost,” Holliday said, describing the project as an investment for the next 100 years.
“We’re all willing to do something, but we need to pinpoint what we need to do,” Board President Sandy Kane Smith said. “We need to hash out what we want to do as a Board; We’ve always seen two annexes, but never seen anything about one big building.”
Lumpkin said the latest proposal consisted of two annexes, one on the south side of the courthouse that would be three stories tall, and one on the north side that would be two stories.
Those plans would also account for the sale of the tax assessor’s office and the demolition of the old county health department building and the current Board of Supervisors building—which would be turned into a parking lot, Lumpkin said.
The Board also discussed looking at courthouses statewide to get ideas and speaking with architects about other options that would benefit the needs of every department.
No official action was taken on the matter.