Harrison County leaders adjust to continued growth

Harrison County officials say continued growth and development are increasing demands on infrastructure and public services.

Michelle Pinto with the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center explains how the county is responding.

Kendra Robinson moved to Gulfport in 2023. Since then, she says the changes around her have been hard to miss. “Everywhere you see, you see roads being restructured to make it easier for us and different buildings and more housing developments. It’s just consistent growth, especially with the population constantly growing.”

County leaders say they are investing in public safety, infrastructure, mental health services and programs for older residents as the population grows.

Public safety represents the largest share of that spending — about 57-and-a-half million dollars over the last year. “I have a family for myself, so it’s nice knowing that I live in a community where public safety is top priority.”

The county is also expanding its mental health services.

A new diversion center would give law enforcement another option for adults experiencing mental health or substance use crises instead of taking them to jail or a hospital emergency room.

State Sen. Mike Thompson says the need extends beyond Harrison County. “The investment in the new facility, adding additional beds to try to get those folks some treatment, that’s something that we can be a model for the rest of the state.”

Harrison County received 1.9 million dollars in opioid settlement funds to operate the center for its first year.

But county officials will need to find additional funding for future operations.

As Harrison County continues to grow, Thompson says keeping infrastructure and services in step with that growth will remain important. “We’ve got a lot of positive development here in Harrison County. That comes… with its own challenges — making sure that you’ve got the infrastructure in place.”