Board wants 80 Percent of Oil Spill Money
Harrison County wants to make sure BP oil spill settlement money makes it down to the Coast. On Monday, the Board of Supervisors took a step toward making sure that happens.
The board passed a resolution to join with other Coast cities and counties in asking the Mississippi Legislature to appropriate at least 80 percent of the $750 million in the state’s general fund for economic damages from the oil spill to the local government of the three coastal counties. Supervisors want the money to be used for strategic economic development to create new jobs and expand the state’s tax base from sales, income and gaming taxes generated from Mississippi Coast businesses. Harrison County District 1 Supervisor Beverly Martin said, “It’s important that we show unity. I was a lobbyist for 20 years in Jackson, Mississippi and I can assure you the one thing they always bring up is the fact that the Coast isn’t unified. So, I felt it was important that we show unity. All the mayors have signed off on it and the other counties. Really, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think one hundred percent of that money needs to come back here but we’ll settle for 80. We just want to make sure the majority of it gets back here.”
The board hopes to begin work on the resolution immediately.
The board passed a resolution to join with other Coast cities and counties in asking the Mississippi Legislature to appropriate at least 80 percent of the $750 million in the state’s general fund for economic damages from the oil spill to the local government of the three coastal counties. Supervisors want the money to be used for strategic economic development to create new jobs and expand the state’s tax base from sales, income and gaming taxes generated from Mississippi Coast businesses. Harrison County District 1 Supervisor Beverly Martin said, “It’s important that we show unity. I was a lobbyist for 20 years in Jackson, Mississippi and I can assure you the one thing they always bring up is the fact that the Coast isn’t unified. So, I felt it was important that we show unity. All the mayors have signed off on it and the other counties. Really, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think one hundred percent of that money needs to come back here but we’ll settle for 80. We just want to make sure the majority of it gets back here.”
The board hopes to begin work on the resolution immediately.
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