Simpson County municipal officials recently attended the Mississippi Municipal League (MML) Conference.
The MML is a voluntary group of the leadership of Mississippi cities and towns. Their mission is to serve their members in a variety of ways, through legislative advocacy, optional benefits programs, training and educational opportunities, and multiple publications.
The League staff, under the direction of the executive director, has the responsibility for implementing League goals and objectives.
The conference is an opportunity for elected officials to learn new strategies and share knowledge. Several classes are offered on different aspects of running a municipality, as well as teaching new policies.
Magee Mayor Dale Berry said, “These conferences are really good. I’ve always liked them because you can put a face with who you talk to on the phone.”
Berry attended classes focused on how to better communicate the public, and how to protect the city from being involved in lawsuits.
Berry also spoke with other mayors about a hot topic currently being discussed in Magee, which is the legalization of liquor sales. Berry said that aldermen of other municipalities reported that their sales tax went up by 25 percent after the legalization of liquor and DUI arrests went down. He said the legalization of liquor eliminated the need for citizens to drive other places to buy or consume alcohol. They instead purchased the alcohol locally and went home.
Berry also spoke on a situation that is plaguing every municipality in the state. He said that municipalities are not receiving sales tax from online shopping, which has become the norm. “Internet sales are killing local municipalities,” he said.
Mendenhall Mayor Todd Booth explained that everyone did a good job attending classes and acquiring new information. He shared some of the material he gathered that would be beneficial for the City of Mendenhall.
Booth said he had unanswered questions concerning federal tax liens on properties around the city. The properties in question are not actively being used or maintained. Booth said his goal is to get these properties cleaned up and back into the hands of tax paying citizens which will be beneficial to the city. He found a solution through networking at the MML conference. He learned that properties which have had a lien for over 10 years were eligible to be reinstated and cleaned up. Booth said that this will be helpful for the city in several ways.
New purchasing laws were discussed again. Booth explained that in the past whenever purchasing high priced equipment or funding projects the city would accept sealed bids. Now projects or items over $50,000 must be advertised on a secured site with the maximum dollar amount a city is willing to spend. From there a reverse auction is held where contractors give cities the lowest possible price to land the job.
Booth said, “It’s probably good that everything is transparent at that point. This technique could save the city thousands of dollars on big ticket items.” This method has now been put into law, according to Booth. The class was taught by the State Auditors Department.
Mendenhall Alderwoman Janna Miller was attending her second MML conference. Her biggest takeaway, she said, concerned the comprehensive plan. She said, “Every town needs to have one and be active with it.” She said it was important that the comprehensive plan be reviewed and revised as needed. She said the same was true for ordinances and building codes. She believes they should also be adjusted to fit the needs of the people as time changes. Miller also suggested the city look into using the buddy system, in which neighboring cities work together and encourage citizens to visit and shop locally. Miller said Mendenhall is already doing this to a degree with events such as the Second Saturday Social, Mendenhall’s Farmer’s Market, and Friday Nights on Main.
Miller also learned the key factors in economic development. She said the quality of life a town can provide is essential to economic growth and attracting new businesses. This coincides with her desire to establish a Mayoral Health Council, which will help promote healthy living throughout the city. Miller’s background is in the healthcare industry.
Miller quoted 1 Corinthians 4:2, which says, “Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” Miller said that as elected officials, she and the board must be sure that they are doing their job and upholding their positions as public servants. She summarized that updates and adjustments as times change are important, and the board should continue to work toward a united vision for the city.
“If we put our efforts together and trust God we will be able to move the city of Mendenhall forward.” She thanked the citizens of her ward and the city, and said if she can be of any assistance don’t hesitate to call.
Mendenhall Alderman Donnie Thomas had his focus on development. He said, “All the towns and cities are looking for new tax dollars and are trying to do something to bring new businesses to town.”
He said it was important to generate traffic on Main Street and maintain the shops that the town already has.
Thomas said his focus was on the future and what the city can do to help businesses be successful. He attended several classes on economic development, and on how to get grants to assist with offsetting cost.
Mendenhall Alderwoman Sandra Weeks-Stein said, “I came out knowing more than I did when I went in.” She said the theme of the conference was honoring home town heroes. Her greatest interest during the conference was concerning grants. She said, “I am always looking for more grant money. That’s been my biggest thing.”
MML conferences serve as an excellent networking function for municipality leader. It provides city leaders with an opportunity to hear feedback from other cities on how they are run.
Booth said he is proud of how Mendenhall is run in terms of operations and legality.
He said, “It’s interesting to see how other cities do things. Everybody is in the same struggle of making budgets stretch so it’s helpful to see how other cities tackle some of the same issues.”
