Discussions about what decisions should be deferred until the city’s next administration takes office took center stage during Tuesday’s city council meeting at the Municipal Complex.
The council ultimately decided travel falls under this term’s purview, while hiring, at least in part, can wait until the next administration and council takes office in July.
Ward 2 Councilman and Vice Mayor Joseph Mickens first moved for the council to schedule a June trip to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers about federal funding requests for the city, which includes $2 million for the Northeast Mississippi Area Crime Center and $500,000 for the fossil park project along the Luxapalila Creek in Propst Park. Mickens wants to be on the team traveling to the nation’s capital, though he was defeated in his reelection bid and will be off the council after June 30.
Mayor Keith Gaskin, however, raised concerns about the timing of the trip due to uncertainty about federal allocations under the Trump administration.
“It would be better, if we were to go, (to go) later in July or August, and then that would be for the next (city) administration,” said Gaskin, who is running for the Ward 1 council seat instead of seeking reelection as mayor.
City Engineer Kevin Stafford echoed Gaskin’s caution, warning that funding for some federal grants that were awarded last fall still haven’t actually made it to the recipients. Lawmakers are also asking communities to prioritize what projects they want finished, he said.
“Which only goes to tell you and I’ve read several documents that say the next 12 months, funding is going to be very tight with all the funding cuts that are being made,” Stafford said. “I would anticipate that to continue for the foreseeable future, at least until next year.”
Ward 6 Councilwoman Jacqueline DiCicco questioned the expenditure given the uncertainty, but the council approved the trip despite the concerns.
The discussion returned to deferring decisions when Mickens moved to delay the hiring of an accounts payable clerk and a staff accountant until July. DiCicco pushed back again, saying the city’s personnel needs in that department are too great to wait on hiring.
“We have two people that are working night and day and weekends, and we have qualified candidates,” she said. “… Once again, good help is hard to find, and if we have good candidates, why would we delay based on the new administration? They don’t hand pick. We have to have interviews and reviews with the accounting department.”
Gaskin agreed, revisiting the discussion about the trip to Washington D.C.
“It’s amazing that you’re OK with traveling before the next administration, but not hiring critical positions,” he told Mickens.
Chief Financial Officer Jim Brigham provided an update on the current staffing situation in the accounting department, in which a temporary worker is filling in every other week to handle open responsibilities until the positions are filled.
“It’s running terrible,” Brigham said. “We’ve had mistakes. We’ve had people that haven’t been paid, and we have people working seven days a week.”
Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones moved for the council to continue the discussion in executive session. Board Attorney Jeff Turnage told The Dispatch the council voted to fill the vacant staff accountant position and table the accountants payable position until more information is gathered.
Watershed bid awarded
In more progress for the city’s $6.1 million watershed project, the council approved a $5.31 million construction bid from Cullum Construction to handle the improvements.
The project, covered by American Rescue Plan Act funds, would improve major flooding areas in eight sites across the city – four each on Northside and Southside. The city has until September 2026 to complete the work or forfeit the funding.
Stafford told The Dispatch that 59 of the 85 needed easements have already been obtained. Gaskin said the goal is to have that phase completed before next year.
“We’re still saying that we need to have all the easements by the end of the year,” he said. “Still working on those. We’ve made a lot of progress.”
Also on Tuesday, the council found a home for a $2,500 surplus remaining from a $15,000 contribution the city gave to the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau for the 2025 Bassmaster Open. Because fewer than 200 anglers attended, the CVB spent less than expected.
During the work session last week, Tourism Director Frances Glenn requested the funds be set aside for a future Bassmasters tournament. During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 3 Councilman Rusty Greene moved instead to put the extra $2,500 toward a $5,000 request from the CVB to help fund expenses for its Fireworks on the Water event in July.
The council also voted to rescind its memorandum of agreement with the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation that would have made it the fiscal agency for the fossil park project. The city will apply instead for the Tupelo-based CREATE Foundation to manage the project’s funding.
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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