A bill working its way through the Mississippi Legislature would, if approved and signed by Gov. Phil Bryant, provide funding for a new Miss. Highway Patrol Troop G headquarters in Oktibbeha County.
As authored by state Rep. Jeff Smith, R-Columbus, HB 1452 calls for a $6 million-maximum bond to construct, furnish and equip the new Troop G station in Starkville.
The station is expected to be constructed in Cornerstone Park, a mostly empty industrial park located south of Starkville on Highway 25. The Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority, which controls land within the park, previously donated a parcel to the MHP in 2013.
The bill sets a maturity cap at 25 years and calls for the bond’s issuance to occur no later than July 1, 2019.
House representatives approved the bill 120-2 last month — only state Reps. Stephen Horne, R-Meridian, and William Shirley, R-Quitman, opposed. It was referred to the Senate Finance Committee last week.
A call to Smith went unreturned by press time, but state Rep. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, said senators have expressed a commitment to take up and pass the bill due to the age of Troop G’s current home.
The headquarters, located on Mississippi State University property at the Highway 182 and East Lee Boulevard intersection, was last updated in 1986, said Troop G spokesperson Criss Turnipseed.
The new facility will be modeled after similar builds in the past decade, he said, but blueprints and proposals were not readily available at press time.
An exact cost is unknown at this point.
In addition to serving as the area’s MHP base of operations, Troop G also provides residents with driver’s license renewals and permits for firearms, among other services. Turnipseed said a new facility could also provide commercial driver’s licenses.
“The standard build is a modern facility that’s more up to date than this facility. We’ll have more offices and a larger assembly area for district meetings. It’s a long way from the building that we’re in now,” he said. “We’re the last substation in the state that hasn’t been built under the new construction standards. We’ve always enjoyed this building and have taken good care of it. We’re hopeful (lawmakers) will find the funding.”
In 2013, OCEDA President Jack Wallace told The Dispatch MSU asked Troop G to relocate. University officials have yet to announce future plans for the land once MHP moves its headquarters across the county.
Wallace said Thursday he remains optimistic lawmakers would provide the funding to keep Troop G in Oktibbeha County.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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