As Magnolia prepares to set its budget, the biggest issue looming overhead is infrastructure.
Mayor Anthony Witherspoon told board members and attendees at Tuesday’s that budget cuts will be needed to make room for street repairs.
“It’s going to be a smaller budget, but we have to take care of some other issues we have,” he said.
Clarence Burton asked why the city needed to make cuts.
“We need our police and our firefighters. I want to feel protected when I’m at home,” Burton said.
Witherspoon assured Burton there would be no personnel cuts. “To take care of the streets, it has to be a give and take. We don’t want to do that. That would be the last thing we do,” Witherspoon said.
“I’ve lived in Magnolia almost 50 years. These streets didn’t just get bad,” Burton said.
Witherspoon said the work for the road repair would begin as soon as possible.
“We’re doing this in the next couple of months. It won’t be a year,” Witherspoon said.
Witherspoon commended department heads who were fiscally conservative with the funds allotted.
“They left a surplus, and we can roll that money into the budget, which can go toward other projects,” he said.
Witherspoon said the condition of city streets means infrastructure work needs to begin as soon as possible.
At an earlier meeting, the city presented a list of eight streets that are in dire need of repairs, including Kramer Avenue, West Olive, Regan, Poplar, West Pine, North and South Prewett, North and South Cherry, and West Laurel streets. Magnolia Street has since been added to the list.
Witherspoon said during the Monday night work session there are two water leaks on Magnolia Street that will wash much of the street away if the street isn’t repaved.
“You know what that tells me? The infrastructure in downtown is in bad shape,” he said.
In addition to repaving streets, fire hydrants will be installed and repaired.
Replacing water meters is also planned. In June, the city has entered into a cost-saving contract with Johnson Controls to fix another major issue: water revenue.
The city discovered 2 million gallons of water were being consumed, but only 1 million gallons were charged, leaving the city $200,000 in the hole.
The city should bring in $500,000, but is only bringing in $300,000. Since the discovery, water revenue has been increasing.
However, there are still 900 meters in the city that are faulty and not giving accurate usage amounts.
Witherspoon stressed to board members in June that the Johnson Controls contract would bring revenue into the city.
The company guarantees they can save the city $85,000. If the company saves less than that, then the company has to pay the difference.
If at any time the city of Magnolia is not happy with Johnson Controls work, they can opt out of the contract, he said. The Mississippi Development Authority oversees the contract.
Aldermen also have to make a decision soon about the facultative wastewater lagoon system.
The city uses a system that is out of date and faces hefty fines if the lagoon is not replaced. Magnolia’s wastewater permit expires next year.
In July, Witherspoon told board members they had two options — build their own, or transport the waste eight miles to McComb’s wastewater treatment plant.
He said either option carries a price tag of $7 to $10 million.
