Mayor Whitney Rawlings vowed Wednesday to get McComb “hitting on all cylinders,” including retail and commercial development, a revitalization of the city and a strong public school system.
Speaking to the McComb Rotary Club for the second time in three months, Rawlings listed a number of positive things going on. He also touched on issues like the embezzlement of $1 million from municipal court and the slow pace of repaving streets, and said it’s unlikely the city will seek a food and beverage tax to raise money.
Among the good news from Rawlings:
• Dr. Cederick Ellis, superintendent of the McComb School District, is “building a foundation that will carry our schools to greater heights, I believe.” The mayor said he is trying to get Gov. Phil Bryant to visit the new student-centered elementary school in Summit.
• The city issued building permits for $31 million worth of construction in 2015. That compares to an average of $7 million over the prior five years. “2016 is going to be another good year,” Rawlings predicted.
• Agreements appear to be in place for the development of two lots of commercial property on the new section of Anna Drive.
The mayor noted that new traffic signals are in place at the intersection of Anna Drive and Delaware Avenue, and a redesign of Delaware between that intersection and nearby Interstate 55 continues.
• A comprehensive plan for the development of the city will be made public in a few weeks. Rawlings is a strong advocate for improvements to Delaware Avenue to make it more appealing to visitors. How far that goes will depend on comments from “stakeholders,” meaning property owners along the busy street.
• More improvements for downtown and the area around the railroad depot are planned. “We continue to make investments in downtown to encourage developers to invest in our property,” the mayor said. “I want what’s happening on State Street to happen on Main Street.”
• Parklane Road has rapidly become a high-volume thoroughfare. “We need to build a modern three-lane road from Presley Boulevard up to Park Drive,” Rawlings said. “It would include sidewalks for all the kids (at Parklane Academy) and apartment residents, and drainage. That’s a $5 million job.”
• The Mississippi Department of Transportation still plans an expanded system of traffic signals on Veterans Boulevard, but financial pressure has delayed the project.
• The new fire station in East McComb should open this month. A Lowe’s charitable trust gave the city $10,000 for landscaping at the property on Elmwood Street.
• The city saved $300,000 in annual health insurance costs by switching carriers. It used half of that money to buy four new police vehicles.
• Interest in the McComb Railroad Depot Museum is growing, with 4,000 visitors in 2011 and 9,000 last year.
• The Hobby Lobby store that opened last year at Edgewood Mall has exceeded its sales expectations, and a Marshalls store is opening there this fall as well.
Regarding the city court embezzlement, Rawlings said the money got stolen over a seven-year period. He said accounting procedures have been put in place to prevent theft, and the city hired an outside auditor to recommend other changes.
He called street repairs “a slow, very slow process. It’s a balancing act and right now the streets aren’t getting the attention they need. We just don’t have the revenue. We’re trying to grow the city to get there; then we’d have some extra dollars to put into overlay.”
As for the proposed 1 percent food tax, he said, “I just don’t feel that something’s going to happen. I don’t feel like the board is ready to make that move. I think it’s kind of dead for now.”
