Pascagoula’s Two Percent Restaurant Tax Passes

Today in Pascagoula, the two percent tax referendum went to vote for a second time and passed with 61 percent of voters casting their ballot in support of the increase.
News 25’s Hank Davis was in Pascagoula today, talking to voters at the polls.
Leading up to Pascagoula’s second vote on a possible two percent restaurant tax, signs have been placed in front of restaurants throughout the city, maps to each polling station were distributed to residents, and a special committee was formed to help generate support for the tax referendum. Larry Hawkins with the S.O.A.R. Committee said, “People have a better knowledge and they’re responding by showing up to vote. The numbers are definitely up here at precinct one. I feel like it has been a positive effort, a collaborative effort from the entire citizenship of the City of Pascagoula to get this tax passed this time.”
The S.O.A.R Committee’s effort to raise voter awareness paid off. The amount of ballots cast at 2:30 p.m. had already come close to surpassing the total amount of votes that were tallied on the August 31st vote.
Many of the residents turned up in support of the tax which will be used to fund the improvement of recreational programs in the City of Pascagoula. Pascagoula resident Kim Kitchens said, “I feel that it’s gonna be good for the city. Me, personally, I have kids. They’re into sports. That’s why I feel that it’s gonna be good because our kids need better sports complexes and more for the kids.”
Pascagoula resident Charles Barnes said, “It’ll be a benefit. More revenue is always a benefit. In this day and time, it takes a lot of dollars to implement a lot of different activities. The extra money would help.”