The Starkville Board of Aldermen unanimously approved its Fiscal Year 2016-17 2-percent food and beverage tax contribution to the Mississippi State University Student Association Tuesday after officials told aldermen they intend to hold next year’s Bulldog Bash inside the city limits.
As mandated by state statute, Starkville allocates one-fifth of its total 2-percent tax receipts to the student association. The $425,000 budget approved Tuesday specifically allocates $145,000 for the iconic Cotton District music event.
The future of Bulldog Bash became unclear this summer when MSUSA first announced it would move the event to the university’s amphitheater. After aldermen and Cotton District business leaders said the new location could adversely affect consumer spending in the corridor, MSUSA again moved the outdoor concert to the intersection of University Drive and Nash Street.
MSUSA’s budget was approved with little board discussion Tuesday, but Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins pressed university representatives for their commitment to hold Bulldog Bash in the city next year.
Perkins was ready to offer a motion approving the budget conditional on the event remaining in the city limits but stopped short of moving forward after MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said it is “always our intention to have Bulldog Bash in Starkville.”
“The only condition we place on that is continuing the cooperation the city has shown us this year,” Hyatt said. “The police department, public works, mayor – everyone has gotten on board this year to facilitate our presence in the city.
“The students we have in our community certainly provide a significant portion of our tax revenues, in terms of their dining and purchase of items within the community. Most importantly, MSU and Starkville are in a symbiotic relationship,” she added. “We work very closely with each other to ensure that our students are good citizens of this community, through their contributions, service activities and community engagement. We’re doing our part to ensure Starkville’s economy is strong. We use these resources to the best advantage for both parts of the partnership.”
Perkins said he took Hyatt’s assurance at face value but would revisit his motion next year if students again attempt to move Bulldog Bash onto campus.
“The feeling was the board was comfortable with her verbal confirmation. They gave us assurances,” he said. “We have to be partners today and tomorrow – it’s not a unilateral action. There’s nothing in the legislation that prohibits us from putting conditions on giving them the money. The city attorney also looked into the issue and concurred.”
Other MSUSA tax-funded projects
MSUSA’s approved budget also allocates $150,000 to Music Maker Productions, $60,000 toward the Lyceum Series, $30,000 for the Old Main Music Festival and $20,000 each for Cowbell Cabs and the Global Lecture Series.
MMP organizes various on-campus concerts, and the 2016-17 Lyceum Series will feature soul-blues musician Zac Harmon, political satire troupe The Capitol Steps, pianist John McAndrew, chamber music ensemble The Ritz Chamber Players and the Montana Repertory Theatre’s presentation of playwright Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park.
Cowbell Cabs is a transportation program that takes students with valid IDs from bars, restaurants or on-campus locations to their residences. The operation replaced the MSU Night Route, which utilized campus shuttles to take riders from campus to various Cotton District and downtown drop-off locations.
MSUSA President Roxanne Raven said Cowbell Cabs has seen an increase in ridership each semester without the student association aggressively marketing the transportation network. Soon, she said, the association will begin advertising it for student use.
“The great thing about Cowbell Cabs is it allows students to go into the nightlife – into the Cotton District and downtown – and enjoy those activities and safely get home. It keeps the streets safe, and it keeps the citizens safe.”
Aldermen will hold a board meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to approve the city’s overall Fiscal Year 2016-17 budget and will approve 2-percent appropriations to other entities, including the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority and Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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