For the first time in more than two months, the Starkville Board of Alderman approved and implemented the consent agenda Tuesday night, significantly cutting down on the length of the meeting and leaving plenty of time for Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker to give an explanation he felt he owed constituents.
Along with the other items placed on the consent agenda, the board authorized The Golden Triangle Planning and Development District to prepare and submit a HOME Investment Partnership Program grant application for the city, and in addition agreed to a $3,500 contribution for the game-day shuttle bus service during Mississippi State University’s home football games.
The board also unanimously approved the hiring of a new director of finance.
But the focal point of the meeting was the approval of an $8 million municipal complex.
Prior to a 4-3 approval of the minutes from the board’s June 5 meeting, Parker gave the public his reasons and justifications for voting to approve the minutes, which included a resolution to authorize a public-private partnership for construction of the municipal complex, which will include a renovated, expanded police station and a new city hall. Approval of the June 5 minutes means the decisions recorded at that meeting become official action. Parker said he has been up front with being comfortable with the public-private partnership, but he realizes the board’s public perception efforts were an “epic fail.”
Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn all voted no.
Starkville voters had previously rejected a $14 million bond issue for a municipal complex.
“I take responsibility for not making sure it was more publicized … for the people who voted against (the last bond issue), the feedback and input I got was that they didn’t want increased taxes and they didn’t want an extravagant $14 million building. Those were the two major things,” Parker said. “I can assure everybody that I have studied these numbers that we have used, the numbers we have presented, and they are not going to cripple this city. They are conservative in nature. There are going to be things that come up that we can’t account for … If I tried to run my household or this city on doomsday scenarios then we would never get anything accomplished.”
Despite what the municipal complex plans call for, many who have spoken in opposition to the complex say the tax increases are inevitable, even if increase is not a direct result of the construction or lease of the contract. Parker said he does not think this will be the case.
“I also realize this city has lived on growth for over 20 years, and that’s what allowed us to keep our taxes low relative to the other communities. You can’t say that for the county or schools,” he said. “I just truly feel like with hard diligent work on future budgets, this project won’t require a tax increase. And I know the project itself can’t require a tax increase, but I am talking about if we need some money to do something, when we would have had it if we hadn’t gone ahead with this project. I just don’t think we will have to do that.”
Following Parker’s explanation, Carver pointed to the rushed process as his main concern in passing the minutes, and said the plan seemed risky to him.
“As an alderman I didn’t even get the packet (until) the night before. I didn’t get to study it in time,” Carver said. “I thought it was rushed through and you have seen the implications of that … If this is such a good project, again, I say let’s put it up for a public vote, and if it is such a good project it will pass and if it isn’t, it won’t pass. But with this process that is going to happen tonight, the public won’t be afforded that opportunity. You’ll have four people that will pass the minutes and that will be it.”
Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk spoke after Carver and said she wanted to ensure the public knew that this was simply saying the minutes were recorded properly and that no new action was being taken.
In other business, Taylor Adams was approved and hired as the city’s new director of finance and will begin his duties Aug. 1. Adams, whose starting salary will be $73,500, is currently a purchasing manager in the Mississippi State University Office of Procurement and Contracts. He replaces Markeeta Outlaw, who retired June 1.
The board welcomed Adams, and told him to enjoy his first few months on the job, as they always seem to be the most pleasant.
“May the honeymoon be as long as possible,” said Mayor Parker Wiseman.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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