Mayor wanting to increase tourism tax |[1/21/06]

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 23, 2006

When presenting the city of Vicksburg’s wish list to the Warren County Board of Supervisors and area members of the state legislature Friday, Mayor Laurence Leyens said, among other things, that he’d like to see a 1 percent increase in the tax that funds the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The VCVB is currently run by a 1 percent sales tax on motel rooms, restaurant and bar bills.

Rep. George Flaggs, D-Vicksburg, who attended the meeting at the Vicksburg Warren County Chamber of Commerce, said he liked the idea. But, he said, if he was to consider a tax increase, he would also review the language in the state ordinance regarding the VCVB’s executive director position.

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Flaggs has voiced opposition to the VCVB board’s vote to hire Compass Facility Management to run the tourism bureau.

On Friday, the state attorney general’s office handed down an opinion that the executive director of the VCVB must be a &#8220natural person” and not a company. Flaggs had requested the opinion.

&#8220I have a real issue with how this is set up, how this appointment is being made,” Flaggs said. &#8220I have been in the middle of a storm over this issue.”

Leyens responded that the VCVB is independent of the city and that his main focus now is increasing funding for marketing purposes.

&#8220It”s very clear, for years, they don’t have enough resources to effectively market, so we’re trying to respond,” Leyens said.

Flaggs said, although there are many things that concern him about the VCVB, he agrees a tax increase would be beneficial.

&#8220I’m for that concept,” Flaggs said. &#8220But I’m not for the way the board is structured and the way the board governs itself.”

Also during the meeting, Leyens said the city is interested in enacting design standards for its commercial zones, particularly on Clay Street.

&#8220These are not necessarily building codes,” said Wayne Mansfield, director of the city’s planning department. &#8220The city has adopted building codes. This is on appearance.”

Leyens said he would like to require that new buildings be built from certain materials.

&#8220We’d like to be able to say you have to build with brick or wood to protect everybody’s property values and increase the quality of life,” Leyens said, citing as an example the brick Wal-Mart Supercenter in Madison County.

Flaggs said he did not think such an issue could pass without forcing every county in the state to make changes.

&#8220I don’t believe we can get local and private on this building code,” he said. &#8220However, because of Katrina there is a bill being proposed on statewide zoning. You may have some flexibility there. I don’t know yet.”

Some Mississippi lawmakers – including Sen. Mike Chaney, R-Vicksburg – have filed a bill that would adopt uniform building codes across the state to set standards for reconstruction after Hurrcane Katrina.