OKTIBBEHA COUNTY – A summer slate of road projects, mostly in District 2, moved forward Friday as supervisors worked to close a multimillion-dollar funding gap.
The board convened to allocate money for projects already underway that were still lacking full funding, a shortfall totaling about $2.3 million total. Among those projects, one road is in District 1, where construction has already begun; one project is shared between Districts 2 and 5; and 12 additional roads are in District 2, where notices to proceed were issued before a funding source was identified.
The board agreed to pay $2 million of the gap from internet use tax revenue and cover the rest from leftover road bond money.
“The rationale with getting them on the contract was to lock those prices in,” District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer said during the meeting, defending why his work was cleared to proceed before money was in place. “… The problem we’re having is, the money we get, once we get it in our possession, it evaporates. So, we got the money already obligated before we get it, so … the price won’t change.”
Trainer’s share of capital projects funding for this year sits at only $200,000, far short of what is needed.
The projects include Ballard, Clifford and Jordan lanes totaling about $701,000; Rockhill Road East totaling about $535,600; and a larger road improvement package including Rice Road, Bethesda Road, Willie Road, Camps Airport Road north and south, Rockhill Road West and Sand Creek Road and Paradise Lane, totaling about $727,200.
Rice Road and Bethesda Lane will be repaved, while the remaining roads will receive a chip seal treatment.
The shared project between Districts 2 and 5 involves adding an additional chip seal to Robinson and Moor High Roads, totaling about $169,000. District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams previously committed half that from what remains of his share of road bonds issued in Fiscal Year 2024.
Meanwhile in District 1, Supervisor Ben Carver needed an additional $252,000 toward a $2.36 million project to repave New Light Road.
Funding to complete those projects was negotiated out of what remains from nearly $10 million in bonds issued in FY 2024. Of that amount, $316,455 was not assigned to any specific district. Those funds were split between covering the remaining cost of New Light Road and Trainer’s share of the Robinson, Moor High project.
Williams also committed about $20,000 from his remaining 2024 bond balance to close the remaining gap.
Trainer initially proposed using proceeds from the October sale of OCH Regional Medical Center to cover the remaining $1.96 million in District 2 projects, suggesting the board rely on planned 2026 bonds to replenish those funds.
The county declared its intent to endow all of the proceeds from the hospital in February. However, it is still awaiting Gov. Tate Reeves’ approval of local and private legislation to establish the trust.
“You can let the community decide,” Trainer said. “… We’re not doing anything underhanded. We’re just dealing with what we’re dealing with. … You can utilize it, and you can always replenish it. That’s what you got it for. … The endowment won’t be approved until July … and I don’t know when it’ll be before that money actually gets where it got to go. It may be (the) first of next year.”
Williams agreed, saying the money was simply “sitting there.”
District 4 Supervisor Pattie Little and Howard quickly dismissed the idea.
“I’m already on the record for endowing it, and that’s where I’m staying,” Howard said.
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