N’siders say Tate Reeves blocks bill for political reasons
Northsiders are angry Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves has again killed a measure that would give neighborhoods another tool to protect their property values and improve their quality of life.
Last week, SB 3045 died after failing to make it out of the Senate Finance Committee.
The bill would have allowed neighborhood organizations to form community improvement districts, or CIDs.
Under the law, homeowners would be able to pay a special assessment along with their property taxes for use specifically in their neighborhood.
The funds could be used for anything from beautifying public areas to hiring private security.
Reeves wouldn’t support the bill, claiming it’s a tax bill.
“The lieutenant governor personally knows people who are living on a fixed income and can’t afford to pay six mills more because they already live in one of the highest-taxed jurisdictions in Mississippi,” said Reeves spokeswoman Laura Hipp.
Northsiders say Reeves’ claims are hogwash.
“There’s no reason for him to kill it,” said Downtown Jackson Partners (DJP) President Ben Allen. “It’s just not right.”
DJP manages the business improvement district downtown. That district operates similar to the proposed CIDs.
This is the fourth time CID legislation has been killed, and it’s always been killed in the Senate Finance Committee.
“The lieutenant governor has decided that even though it passed the House three times and the Local and Private Committee unanimously, and the mayor and city council were all in favor of it, he wouldn’t allow a vote on it,” said Leland Speed, chairman emeritus of DJP.
“Why do we have a senate if the lieutenant governor is going to make a unilateral decision on it? Is this a democracy? It sounds like a dictatorship.”
The bill was authored by District 25 Sen. Walter Michel and supported by District 29 Sen. David Blount, District 26 Sen. John Horhn and other members of the Jackson delegation.
The Jackson City Council passed a resolution in support of the measure late last year, allowing Michel to introduce the measure in the Senate Local and Private committee.
Said Michel: “I’m sorry that it did not pass, but unfortunately one person can have the power to kill a bill ... and that’s what happened.”
Michel, a Republican, introduced the bill in Local and Private so it would not have to go through Finance, but the measure was double-referred by Reeves.
Allen said Reeves’ “handlers” advised locals on how to present the bill this year so it would have a better chance of passing. Previous bills would have allowed CIDs across the state. Based on the advice of Reeves’ staffers, Allen said the bill was re-written to only allow CIDs in the capital city.
Reeves’ staffers also told local leaders that the lieutenant governor likely would consider it if it was officially backed by the city and introduced as local and private legislation, Allen said.
Speed wondered what Reeves had against the bill, or for that matter, the capital city.
According to Rankin County tax records, Reeves lives on Oakridge Trail in Flowood.
The neighborhood appears to be a gated community.
Twenty-six people, including many Northside leaders, signed a letter in support of CIDs and sent it to the lieutenant governor earlier this month.
The letter urged Reeves to support the measure, citing the benefits of CIDs.
The districts would be much like the business improvement district in downtown Jackson.
Under 3045, neighbors would be able to petition the city for the creation of a special district, establish boundaries and then pay a special tax for use specifically within the area.
Before any tax could be implemented, 60 percent of property owners in the affected area would have to sign in support of it.
The tax would then have to be reauthorized every five years, and the maximum amount of millage that could be collected would be capped at six.
More than 95 percent of property owners in the affected area recently voted to reauthorize the downtown business improvement district, and assess themselves 10 mills to pay for DJP services.
“It’s unfortunate. The legislature ought to have listened to their constituents. If it’s what they want and need, thought ought to have taken it up,” said Country Club of Jackson President Breck Hines.
Hines also signed the letter mailed to Reeves, as did Reed Hogan, president of the Belhaven Improvement Association (BIA).
“It’s terrible that this has been made in to a partisan political position, (instead of being seen as a tool) that would empower neighborhoods to have the ability to enhance their communities,” Hogan said.
Hogan, who has led efforts to make improvements in Belhaven, including adding brick columns and landscaping at major entrances, said his neighborhood was interested in starting a district.
It’s no secret Reeves is likely running for governor and wants to run as an anti-tax candidate. As part of his platform, he wants to stay that he has not supported any tax increases as leader of the Senate.
Reeves argues residents can still make neighborhood improvements by contributing voluntarily to their respective homeowners associations.
“Most conservative Republicans in the Senate oppose raising people’s taxes and turning over tax dollars to unelected representatives,” Hipp said.
Speed said Reeves might not be striking the right tone with voters, especially those in the capital city. “He’s denying us the right to defend ourselves and our properties. He wants to run for governor. We’re not going to elect a dictator.”
