For the 2018 legislative agenda, the city of Ridgeland is looking to follow the Mississippi Municipal League (MML).
“We’re basically supporting the Mississippi Municipal League’s agenda,” Mayor Gene McGee said. “The main thing on that is to offset debt. That’s our main agenda.”
Specifically, McGee said the city has made a resolution to support MML’s proposed bill to obtain owed municipal fines through income tax returns.
The city has $7.2 million in unpaid fines, according to District 25 Sen. Walter Michel.
If someone who still lives in the city has an income tax return, the amount of the fine can be deducted from the tax return. Part of the recovered money will go to the state, and the other half will go to the city.
Another main goal for Ridgeland in 2018 is to obtain funds for roads and transportation throughout the city.
“We’ll probably be asking for some money for transportation… in the bond bill.”
However, the mayor said the city has not yet officially asked for transportation funds.
“We’ve got the construction of Lake Harbour Drive extension and Colony Park Boulevard. We’re hoping the legislation will put some money in the bond bill for us.”
Last year, the city asked for an additional $3 million for both road projects.
At that time, city public workers were relocating utilities, one of which was a “tremendously expensive, high-pressure gas line” that runs down Colony Park, Lake Harbour Drive and near the city center.
“It’s going to cost almost that much to move the lines,” McGee said at the beginning of 2017. “It’s an unexpected expense.”
McGee said in 2016, the city requested the $3 million be included in the 2017 legislative bond bill, but the funds were not.
Last but not least, Ridgeland officials listed their support for legislation that would allow each municipality the option to hold a referendum for its citizens to approve a local-option sales tax of one-percent.
“This is one of the things that’s always been a priority to Ridgeland,” Alderman-at-Large DI Smith said. “The city is working with the Mississippi Municipal League and pushing for municipalities in the state to have options for citizens to get to vote and make decisions on using one percent local sales taxes as a funding option for specific projects.”
The city asked for this legislation last year, and Smith said the city’s been eyeing this kind of opportunity for years.
A local-option sales tax can be exemplified by the One-Percent Commission in Jackson, where an additional one percent is levied on certain sales transactions within city limits.
Every local-option sales tax is voted for by the public, the extra tax must be spent within the municipality limits, and the money is put toward a pre-designated purpose.
