STARKVILLE — Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins will ask fellow board members next month to support a 1-mill tax increase dedicated to fully funding a $5.4 million Starkville Police Department renovation project after state lawmakers failed to allocate money to the city Monday.
Perkins, who routinely opposes millage rate increases, said a general obligation bond is necessary to end a decades-long issue with providing SPD with a proper home since the city’s current and projected budgets offer “no path forward” for solving a $2.4 million funding gap for renovations.
“Even though the (2017 municipal) election is approaching, I’m not afraid of the issue,” Perkins said before Tuesday’s board meeting. “Our police department has outgrown the very tight and minute space it is in and needs additional space for current operations and future expansion. We need to move forward and approve a millage increase.”
While local education supporters celebrated the state’s $5 million commitment and a promise for a future allocation toward constructing a grades 6-7 partnership school at Mississippi State University, Oktibbeha County’s state delegation missed out on procuring two other allocations in Monday’s bond bill: one to assist with renovating the former city hall and another $6 million request to build a new Mississippi Highway Patrol substation for Troop G in Cornerstone Park.
Aldermen previously authorized $3 million toward SPD renovations, but increasing cost projections moved the project’s price tag to about $5.4 million. To make up the gap without forcing cuts in other departments or a tax increase, the board asked the Legislature for a one-time, $2.4 million allocation.
Both the House and Senate passed the state’s bond bill with a single Oktibbeha County-specific allocation — the promise of money for school construction — but Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, said the local delegation will make a new push for MHP money in the next term.
As for SPD renovation funds, Chism said the city can still apply for grants through a historic building stream. Allocations, however, is not guaranteed in the future.
Moving forward, aldermen have two paths for upgrades to the police department’s home: They can either approve a scaled-back plan that fits the previously approved $3 million budget and hope the state provides money in the future for complete renovations or push forward with the full $5.4 million plan and fund its debt service through the Perkins-backed tax increase.
Perkins said he will present the financing plan as a motion during the May 3 board of aldermen meeting. The language of that motion calls for the 1-mill increase to roll off the books once the debt is retired.
One tax mill brings in about $224,800 to the city. Starkville’s current millage rate is 21.98.
While pushing for the SPD-specific millage increase, Perkins said he would vote against any other attempts to raise taxes, whether for industrial and economic development or other city matters.
“The vice mayor routinely, traditionally and consistently opposes tax increases, and this is the only millage increase I’ll vote for,” he said. “We don’t need to scale the project back. We need to just do the project as it currently stands so we can have a police department we can always be proud of. I’m proud to say I’m extending genuine and seasoned leadership for this project, and I’m doing it because it’s urgent and necessary to get this matter behind us and put the multi-decade issue to bed.”
The city’s tax rate and ability to generate revenue for future projects should come up for discussion in upcoming board meetings. Aldermen will soon begin broaching how to fund a Golden Triangle Development LINK-backed industrial park, and the city has ongoing studies involving future Starkville Parks and Recreation facilities.
Ward 3 Alderman David Little said he was unsure if a majority of his peers would support Perkins’ tax increase since the city is facing so many potential funding requests.
“You’ve got the LINK project, the park study, roads that are rough, drainage issues and so on. There’s just never enough money to address everything,” he said. “I’m not sure where (the state’s failure to obligate money) is going to take us. I was optimistic we’d get something out of it, but now we’re going to have to make tough decisions. I can understand Perkins’ argument since the police issue hasn’t gotten off the ground in 20 years. They’re the ones that are suffering.”
Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard, who chairs the city’s budget committee, said aldermen will “go back and look at all of their options” in the coming weeks.
“Our officers deserve quality workspace,” he said. “They have needed it for a long time.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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