After getting an earful of what Columbus needs and wants Tuesday, leaders for the visiting charrette team got a sobering dose of the city”s financial roadblocks Wednesday.
In a meeting with key economic development stakeholders Wednesday at the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link, the crew from Arnett Muldrow and Associates, an urban planning firm in Greenville, S.C., were given the abbreviated version of Columbus” leaks. Specifically, the city is losing people to the county, losing shoppers to nearby cities and losing money, period.
Columbus” economic leaders were candid in their assessments and pulled no punches regarding the city”s problems or their expectations for the charrette team”s suggestions, which will be presented at a public meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at the Trotter Convention Center.
“This task cannot be done in two days,” said Joe Higgins Jr., chief executive officer for the Link.
Charrette facilitator Randy Wilson, who attended the meeting at the Link Tuesday, has said the charrette”s goal is not to solve Columbus” problems, but to offer conceptual suggestions for promoting or enhancing the city.
Tripp Muldrow, market analyst and economic development specialist for the charrette team, said the blunt nature of Tuesday”s discussion was welcome.
“I think it was in an effort to say, ”Look guys, as you focus on the positive, you”ve got to know this is the reality of what we”re dealing with,”” said Muldrow. “I appreciate that because you can sort of blind yourself with optimism sometimes. It”s good to have the other perspective, that these are the challenges.
The charrette team won”t be discouraged by those challenges, he added.
“We”re coming at it with fresh eyes, because at the end of the discussion today, they”re pointing out the very same thing we”re hearing everywhere else.”
Higgins led the majority of the conversation during the 90-minute meeting, pointing out Columbus” shrinking population and tax base via charts comparing the city with neighboring communities such as Starkville, West Point and Tupelo.
“We”re losing the battle for newcomers,” said Higgins.
Newcomers could apply to individuals, families or businesses. Despite growth in major industries in the area, Higgins says the employees and families moving to the area along with those industries are choosing to settle elsewhere.
“We can bring in the big fish, but we”re viewed as a non-livable city,” said Higgins.
There was little disagreement among the economic leaders Columbus isn”t attracting new citizens, but a wide range of explanations were offered. These included poor public schools, lack of recreation, physical appearance, public safety and local government.
Columbus” racial population was also discussed at length.
“The city school district is 90 percent black and that”s an issue nobody wants to talk about,” said Higgins, who pointed out that five private schools operate in Lowndes County. “Nobody wants to send one of theirs (children) to be with nine of somebody else. That”s whether you”re black, white or Asian.”
In addition to a lack of newcomers, census numbers show Columbus is losing population. However, Lowndes County”s population is increasing.
A loss of citizens means a loss in tax revenue, but Columbus also is hemorrhaging sales tax dollars from out-of-town shoppers.
Lowndes County District 1 Supervisor and Board President Harry Sanders pointed to a loss in automobile sales, traditionally one of Columbus” biggest sales draws, to dealerships in Noxubee County, and Lamar and Pickens counties in Alabama.
Muldrow countered with market data which shows Columbus gaining in clothing sales and department store sales, though he said the city is losing grocery sales.
Given the city”s tax situation, any multimillion-dollar projects not aided heavily by outside funding would require steep increases in millage, Higgins noted.
He said annexation to bring more citizens into the city”s tax base would not immediately solve the city”s financial problems.
Another problem discussed briefly was a lack of cooperation among local elected officials.
“The biggest problem with elected officials is (the attitude that), ”If it”s not my idea, I”m going to sabotage it,” said Columbus Mayor Robert Smith.
The issues raised at the meeting presented a lot to be considered, Muldrow acknowledged afterward.
“We”re dealing with some big challenges here in Columbus and, yeah, three days is a short amount of time to be looking at everything,” he said.
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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