Pike County Tax Assessor Laurie Allen told McComb officials Tuesday that new procedures for determining the value of subsidized Section 42 housing could result in sharp reductions of tax revenue.
In March, Pike County Circuit Court Judge Michael Taylor ruled that, based on the outcome of a 2005 Mississippi Supreme Court decision, the county had overtaxed two Section 42 apartment complexes — Pinnacle at Magnolia Pointe and Pineview Apartments.
Taylor allowed the companies running the apartments to garnish $432,623 from the county.
Since the apartment complexes are in McComb, the ruling affects the city as well as the county and the McComb School District.
Of the money awarded by the court, $84,798 must come from the city, County Administrator Daniel Calcote and Tax Collector Gwen Nunnery determined.
Allen suggested requiring developers of new Section 42 projects to commit to paying certain levels of taxes, regardless of valuation, but board attorney Wayne Dowdy was not on hand to weigh in.
In other matters, Tuesday’s work session was a low-key affair, unmarked by the vitriol of some recent meetings.
The mayor and selectmen heard from citizens and city officials on a range of issues, for the most part routine administrative matters.
Benté Hess Johnson, a resident of Old Liberty Road, complained to the board about illegal dumping and littering in her neighborhood.
The mayor suggested she try to note the tag numbers of offending vehicles and file littering charges in municipal court. In the meantime, he said he would direct the city’s public works department to look into cleaning the area, as well as install “No Dumping” signs.
In other business:
• City Administrator Joseph Parker said the term of Civil Service Commission member Don Lazarus expires June 30. Parker said Lazarus has expressed interest in being reappointed, but the opening must still be advertised.
• Parker told the board that the American Legion, which holds a long-term lease on a city-owned property on Lakeshore Drive in Edgewood Park, has asked that the Legion be allowed to demolish a derelict house sitting on the lot.
The house, near the Legion Hut, is vacant and in disrepair, Parker said, and removal of it would occur at the Legion’s expense.
• Fire Chief Stephen Adams said his department will receive a 500-gallon split trailer, which holds both gasoline and diesel fuel. The trailer, valued at around $20,000, is coming at no cost to the city from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.
• City finance director Janice Dillon asked the board that she be allowed to transfer money from three old, unnecessary accounts into the city’s general operating accounts.
• Parker discussed the need to apply for Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) money to upgrade water and sewer infrastructure. SRF low-interest loans are administered by the state and intended for water projects. In order to be considered for the funds, the city must begin the application process within the next month.
• Rawlings said the city has received a new contract from Severn Trent Environmental Services, which operates the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Neel-Schaffer engineering consultants had negotiated on the city’s behalf, and Tuesday was the deadline for submission of a new contract. The board will consider it at next week’s regular board meeting.
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Near the end of Tuesday’s session, Rawlings said the Depot Pavilion has been rented for Saturday, June 4, for a concert by musicians who had been cut from the program at last Saturday’s McComb Blues and Heritage Festival due to weather.
The McComb Creative Economy Partnership, which organized the event last Saturday, had consolidated the scheduled lineups of two stages into the Palace Theater after severe weather, including tornado warnings, shut down the outdoor portion of the festival. As a result, a half dozen acts were unable to perform Saturday.
The new concert will take place at no cost to the city but requires the closure of a short section of Railroad Boulevard for the day. The board will vote on that, as well as the granting of a permit to sell beer, at its regular meeting next Tuesday.
The mayor closed the session with a brief discussion of a letter he had written to Gov. Phil Bryant. A few weeks ago, the board voted to send a letter recommending the state flag be redesigned, and Rawlings prepared a draft for the selectmen’s comments and approval.
They will offer input next Tuesday.
Selectmen Albert Eubanks and Ronnie Brock did not attend Tuesday’s work session, and Donovan Hill left a half hour into it.
