Tupelo City Council holds first meeting of 2022

BY: Kendall C. Stancil

The Tupelo City Council held its first meeting of 2022 on Tuesday, January 4. It was a short meeting.

Mayor Todd Jordan thanked the Downtown Main Street organization and the Tupelo Tourism Bureau for a great New Year’s Eve event. The mayor asked Neal McCoy with the Tourism and Bureau office to speak to the board.

McCoy told the board that people are traveling to Tupelo, and they have been tracking the hotel bookings over the past couple of years. The Tourism Bureau has been seeing an increase over the past year even with COVID pandemic. He said Tupelo hotels have seen increases in both weekday and weekend bookings. McCoy said it means people are coming to Tupelo not only for leisure but also for business. During 2021 12the city collected over $5 million in tourism taxes.

The City Council worked on budget amendments for 2022. Amendments included the Executive Department which had a $56,560 increase for moving a grant writer to a full-time employee position. The second amendment was a decrease of $56,560 in the Finance Department budget which transferred funds from contracts under finance to personnel costs in the mayor’s budget.

Last was an amendment increasing the 2022 budget for equipment  by $20,500.

In another matter Tupelo Municipal Court asked the board to approve the schedule of fines, fees and bail bonds. It is required that the fee schedule be updated and presented to the City Council for review and approval every year. The council approved the new municipal court schedule.

City Attorney Ben Logan proposed a resolution in support of legislation to name portions of Interstate 22 as the Korean War Veterans Highway and Vietnam Veterans Highway. The Council approved Logan’s request.

District 19  State Representative Randy Boyd of Itawamba County will introduce the legislation in the 2020 session of the Mississippi legislature. The legislation will designate a portion of Interstate 22 beginning at exit 81 down to exit 87. This section would be renamed Korean War Veterans highway. Beginning at exit 87 and continuing to exit 94 would be renamed Vietnam Veterans way. It was believed the action could increase visits to the city’s Veterans Memorial Park which is located off exit 87 on Veterans Blvd.

Due to family illness Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis was not present for the January 4 meeting.

The next meeting of the council will be at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 18, at Tupelo City Hall.

Video of full meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6IQ4jWOrDj8