Johnny Moore, Damion Poe and Lynn Spruill — the three Democrats vying to become Starkville’s next mayor — spent most of Monday’s Starkville-Oktibbeha Voter Education Initiative’s town hall agreeing on numerous issues while saying their own unique vision for the city’s future deserves a majority of voters’ support in the May 2 primary.
Improvement was a constant theme, as all three candidates said Starkville needs to work on various issues, including redeveloping the Highway 182 corridor, strengthening its relationship with Mississippi State University, granting tax increment financing packages only to deserving projects and investing in various quality-of-life initiatives.
As in previous forums, economic development and infrastructure improvement pitches were the lead topics of the night. All three candidates backed the city’s relationship with the Golden Triangle Development LINK and said the firm is positioned to bring jobs to Starkville with its plans to develop a 360-acre industrial park in north Starkville.
While Spruill said the LINK offers Starkville “the best step forward” for industrial development and Poe said the lack of jobs is creating wage gap issues for many residents, Moore said continued subdivisions of land tracts will eventually prevent the development of large industrial parks.
The LINK’s industrial park proposal is currently on hold after members of the Bell family, who own properties adjacent to the site, filed a lawsuit against the board of aldermen’s decision to rezone the area for advanced manufacturing.
“At this point, it’s obvious that we can’t do it on our own or we would have already done it,” Moore said. “We can’t wait any longer, because these parcels continue to be subdivided. The opportunity to patch together a piece big enough to hold a manufacturing facility is going to pass us by. If we continue to piddle around, we’re going to get left behind again.”
Taxes and infrastructure
As in previous forums, Moore used broadening the city’s tax base with new commercial and industrial developments as a way to increase funding for infrastructure improvements instead of seeking new revenues through tax increases.
Spruill, however, identified funding opportunities not dependent on market conditions and outside investments: transitioning debt-servicing millage that will roll off the books next term to infrastructure projects, cutting back on the city’s travel budget and revisiting the 33-percent raise aldermen approved for the incoming board.
“I think we need a street plan that includes the next 20 or 30 years, one that not only includes our current streets but (also includes) where we extend our next streets. We need in-depth planning to take us into (the future),” she said. “I think there are areas we can certainly take a look at making some cuts so that additional revenue opportunities … (can be) put toward infrastructure. There are ways to cut some of those expenditures and also ways for us to make plans that make good sense for us moving forward.”
Poe again backed alternative or “fair” taxes aimed at capturing additional revenues from those who do not own property in Starkville. One such proposal, a temporary fuel tax, could help fund additional infrastructure improvements.
“We have tons of people who come into Starkville, passing through for event weekends or football. That tax would affect them, not just us,” he said. “As far as storm water systems, I would go to the aldermen and find out what areas they need (improving) the most. I would start on one area in each alderman’s district.”
When asked about the future of Starkville’s 2-percent food and beverage tax, both Moore and Spruill said they want state lawmakers to maintain the levy, as it brings in crucial funds for the city. Poe, however, floated the idea of seeking a higher rate if the city needs to reassess its taxes in the future.
“I say maintain it and, if necessary, once we go into evaluating what taxes we need to raise — I think that’s a fair tax that affects everyone in Starkville, so if we needed to raise something — I’m not for raising any taxes — but if we needed to raise something, let’s see what we can do with a 2.5 percent (rate),” he said.
Annexation and other topics
All three candidates said Starkville’s continued annexation of outlying county territory was reasonable if the process of adding land and providing services was administered properly.
Annexation places additional land on the tax rolls and allows the city to collect sales taxes from businesses, but Starkville is required to provide services — police, fire, water, sewage and others — to those areas. Some areas of its 1998 annexation have still yet to receive a full complement of those services.
Moore specifically identified housing developments along Blackjack Road and the anticipated growth along Poor House Road as potential targets, saying some of those developments already receive water and sewer services from Starkville and should be paying property taxes to the city.
Spruill also identified the Poor House Road area as a potential annexation target and said the city should expand toward Starkville Ford as a way to capture sales taxes and lay claim to MSU’s campus and the surrounding areas as a way to bolster its upcoming census figures.
Starkville should consider annexing areas leading into the city, including South Montgomery and Highway 25, as a way to improve the aesthetics of the important transportation corridors, Poe said. He also identified similar potential annexation targets as listed by both Moore and Spruill.
Additionally, Moore said the city does not have enough options for low-income residents; Poe said residents should be aware of and support those with mental health issues; and Spruill called for investments in new amenities, quality-of-life initiatives and Starkville’s human capital as ways to retain students as young professionals and grow the city’s population and tax base.
The voter initiative will host a third forum from 6-7:30 p.m. April 19 at the Greensboro Center. That event will feature candidates running for aldermen positions in Ward 4, 5 and 7.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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