District 41 Rep. Kabir Karriem told the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors on Friday that the request to renew the 2-percent tourism tax may need some “massaging” because it was unusual to ask for funding for two separate recreation programs.
Karriem visited the supervisors during the board’s final meeting of 2022.
The city of Columbus, the county, the Golden Triangle Development LINK and Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau have all asked the legislature to renew the tourism tax, which sunsets in 2023, for 10 years instead of four, which was its current term. The tax is collected as a 2-percent sales tax on prepared food and beverages in the Columbus city limits.
First enacted in 1987, the tax expired in 2018 in the midst of political infighting. It was eventually re-enacted in 2019. The revenue is split between the city, county, LINK and CVB. The city and county each put their share toward recreation expenditures.
“We’re asking for 10 years, and it’s not unprecedented, but it’s not a common ask,” Karriem said. “It’s going to take a little massaging and some conversation on the Senate and House sides to make that a reality.”
One issue is that the tax contains a request for funding for two separate recreation programs, he said. The city and county formerly cooperated on recreation via the Columbus-Lowndes Recreation Authority, but the supervisors pulled out of the CLRA in 2017. Since then the city and county have had independent programs.
“We’re asking for two recreation programs in that tax,” he said. “… It is an uncommon ask for recreation programs, and I don’t foresee any hiccups, but it’s something that we’re going to have to work on.”
Local legislators don’t have the influence they used to, Karriem said.
“We don’t have the big stroke like we did in the past when we had a (Ways and Means Committee) chairman,” Karriem said, referring to former Rep. Jeff Smith, who chaired that committee before being voted out of office in 2019.
He suggested local officials go to Jackson personally.
“I would hope a delegation of local entities come down and set up a meeting with both chairs of the Senate and House,” Karriem said. “Then everyone is on the same page. Only a few municipalities have asked for a 10-year commitment.”
District 1 Supervisor Harry Sanders pushed back on the idea that the request to fund two separate recreation programs is unusual.
“For the four years that we’ve had this particular legislation so far, there have been two recreation departments,” he said. “This is not something that’s new and unprecedented. The only thing new is going from four years to 10 years.”
Karriem said he supports the request.
“Let me be clear: I am in support of whatever needs the city and the county have,” Karriem said. “That’s my job. But those are questions that people ask me.”
District 5 Supervisor Leroy Brooks said the county needs to be prepared to defend the request with specific needs.
“When you go in to ask for 10 years, you need to have a plan of action to explain why you’re asking for it,” he said. “They would probably just rubber-stamp four years. There needs to be an explanation on why we’re moving (to 10 years). I think any reasonable person would ask why we have two recreation programs.”
President Trip Hairston said he would be happy with either a four- or 10-year renewal.
“Just don’t let it sunset,” he said. “I’m not going to die on the 10-year hill.”
No changes to voting precincts
Supervisors approved the legal descriptions of the new district lines drawn up during the redistricting process. Government subdivisions have to look at district lines in the wake of each census to make sure voting strength is more or less evenly distributed.
The county had to redraw district lines to come back into compliance with federal voting guidelines.
The first area to change is around East Emerald Estates in East Columbus, between Lehmberg Road in the east and Beech Street in the west, and Bennett Avenue and Cypress Street in the north and Alabama Street in the south. It will move from District 1 to District 4.
District 1’s southern boundary became Luxapalila Creek, with the area south of that moving into District 3.
District 5 will absorb an area from District 2 that is bounded in the south by the Tombigbee River, to the east by Highway 45 and to the north by Waverly Ferry Road.
Finally, a small, northern portion of Moss Street, Shady Street, Waterworks Road and Johnson Street that was previously in District 2 will be moved into District 5.
Friday the board held a public hearing on the new polling places, none of which will change.
Brian Jones is the local government reporter for Columbus and Lowndes County.
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