State representatives last week affirmed their support of Starkville’s planned request to the Legislature for a 1-percent increase in food and beverage taxes when the next legislative session begins in January.
District 38 Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D-Starkville) promised to push for legislation to enact the tax raise when the Legislature convenes.
“This particular tax is one that allows us to capitalize on a lot of the tourism that Starkville experiences,” Taylor said. “It doesn’t penalize local taxpayers as much — it really actually kind of focuses on those who will be coming to Starkville and staying the night, eating at our great restaurants and things of that nature. It makes sense. I’m in full support of it and I’m really hoping we can get it passed through the Legislature this January.”
Starkville’s Board of Aldermen voted unanimously last week to send a resolution asking for the tax increase which, if signed into law, will generate about $1 million for the city’s parks. The city is seeking the 1 percent increases for 20 years, with plans to tie them to bonding for Cornerstone Park, a planned tournament-ready park on Highway 25 just south of the Highway 12 interchange. Cornerstone Park, depending on how much the city decides to build in it, is estimated to cost anywhere from about $18.5 million to $22 million.
If the tax increases make it through the Legislature and are signed into law, the matter will then return to Starkville for a referendum, which will need 60 percent of the vote to pass.
District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson (R-Starkville) said the city’s efforts to strengthen its economy through boosting recreation tourism made supporting legislation an easy decision.
“It’s an economic motor that can help our community, whether it be through the restaurants or the hotels or what have you,” Roberson said. “That money will turn over into the community several times.
“My theory on this is anytime you can have the opportunity to let the community decide what direction it wants to go in, that’s never a bad thing,” he added. “People will have an opportunity to vote on this, and the people I’ve talked with — just everyday folks that I’ve mentioned it to — I really haven’t heard a whole lot of negative comments about it.”
District 37 Rep. Gary Chism, who sits on the House of Representatives’ Local and Private Legislation Committee, said he doesn’t foresee any trouble with the legislation passing because it will include an election to let Starkville’s voters decide whether to approve the tax.
“It’s going to something that is acceptable that we use that local food and beverage tax for,” Chism said. “I don’t see any problem with it. Since it’s increasing, they’re going to have to have a referendum, and as long as they’ve got a referendum, there should not be a problem.”
Chism was involved in the end of Columbus’ restaurant tax last legislative session after Lowndes County and the City of Columbus sent the Legislature a combined resolution removing the tax’s $325,000 floor. Chism and other representatives put the floor back in, causing the Senate to refuse to pass it and killing the tax altogether. At the time, Chism said he was against removing the floor because there had been no referendum to gauge voter support for changing the tax.
District 16 Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D-West Point) said she “definitely” will support Starkville’s resolution.
“If the board wants to present that legislation and it benefits the community, I think it’s a win-win for Starkville,” she said. “I haven’t heard of any opposition to it. With local support, I will support it.”
District 15 Sen. Gary Jackson (R-Starkville) could not be reached for comment by press time.
The park
Mayor Lynn Spruill said Cornerstone Park, which current plans show can support anywhere from 12 to 15 diamond fields, is meant both to considerably bolster the city’s capacity to host tournaments and provide a place for regular recreation for citizens. The park’s plans also include a 10,000 square foot multi-purpose facility, walking trails, an optional RV park and a pond.
While the city has a long way to go before determining what it would build in Cornerstone Park, should the referendum pass, Spruill said she wants the city to consider as much as it can in the early going.
“I want us to look at some of those extras,” Spruill said. “I want us to initially take on as much as we can comfortably take on, because when you do that, one of the things you find is that it’s hard to go back and revisit it. I want us to look at the most that we can do, right out of the box.”
Starkville Parks and Recreation Director Gerry Logan said the plans for the new park impressed him.
“It would, obviously, put Starkville in a very, very good position to attract these events,” Logan said. “That’s both at the state level and then going after events and sports marketing and sports tourism and trying to attract those things here.”
Cornerstone Park’s construction would also have a ripple effect on Starkville’s other parks. With Cornerstone Park’s focus on baseball and softball fields, some of the fields at the Sportsplex could be replaced with more soccer fields, allowing that facility to focus on soccer long-term.
Logan also said that, while such a plan is still very long-range, it could also allow the removal of the baseball and softball fields at McKee Park.
“I think you could see McKee Park become more of a leisure park, an open space,” he said. “Take down the fences, so to speak, and make it more a place to be with your family. It already has some of that with playgrounds and the pavilion, but kind of expand on that. ”
Spruill said Cornerstone Park’s importance extends beyond being a pure recreation facility. She said the city hopes its location will help kickstart development on the west side of Starkville. The city drawing more tournaments would also help boost its sales taxes.
“We want to be a well-rounded community, and that includes parks and rec in ways that are not just parks and rec,” she said. “They are economic development as well. I think we have a huge opportunity in front of us and I want us to be the absolute top dog in the state for this effort.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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