City sales tax continue to increase

The city of Philadelphia continues to see an increase in its sales tax collections, according to figures from the Mississippi Department of Revenue.

Municipalities in Mississippi collect sales tax for the state and receive a portion of that each month. While not exact, this is an indicator of how the business climate in a municipality is doing. This is how cities operate on a day-to-day basis.

Philadelphia received $492,497 from the state in January, an increase of $34,464 when compared to January 2022. Since July 1, 2022, when the state’s fiscal year began, the city has received $3,026,891, an increase of $141,754 when compared to the same period the previous year.

The Philadelphia Mayor and Board of Aldermen met last Tuesday at City Hall.

Aldermen voted to reject all bids for the CBDG project for the Booker T. Washington gym after the bids exceeded the budget expectations.  Aldermen then voted to rebid the project through Allen & Hoshall. The motion was unanimously approved.

In other matters, aldermen voted to:

• Approve a motion to pay Howell Electrical invoice totaling $103 for work at the Annex Building from the Bond B account. 

• Approve a motion to pay Chad Wright Plumbing LLC invoice $198.50 for work at the Annex Building from Bond B. 

• Approve a motion to pay Gentry’s Locksmith $1,626 for work at Westside Community Center from the Bond B account. 

• Approve a motion to pay Allen & Hoshall $840 for Engineering Services on the Booker T CDBG. 

• Approve a motion to pay Allen Engineering invoices totaling $288 and $7,258.00 for FY22 Airport Lighting Improvement Project. 

• Approve a motion accept the resignation of Briton Moore with the Street Department

• Approve a motion to hire Michael Graham in the Street Department at $10 per hour. 

• Approve a $0.75 per hour raise for Sherrie Acton in the building official’s office. 

• Approve a motion to set a hearing date of March 21 on the rezoning of 385 Jericho St. from R1 to R3. 

• Approve a motion for Blake Howell in the Sanitation Department to attend SWANA training and for the city to pay registration and travel to Biloxi April 4-6. 

• Approve motions to accept the resignations of William J. Brown and Tyler McKee from the Fire Department. 

• Approve a motion to pay EEP invoice totaling $154,379 with Task Force Grant. 

• Approve a motion to pay Darkwater Consulting for taskforce grants invoice totaling $3,000.