The Town of Vaiden is starting to see a small influx with their tourism tax. The tax, which went into effect Jan. 1, is a two percent tax on all prepared food and beverages served in the city.
Funding from the tax will go to the improvement of parks and recreation in the town of Vaiden. Mayor Mel Hawthorne reported Monday night that the town received $900 from the tourism tax in January, February and March and $1,700 in April.
Hawthorne said he wanted to see how the tax would do in May before he begins to get excited about the month of April. He asked board attorney Lane Greenlee if the town could use the money to float a bond to pave Elm Street over by the Vaiden Cemetery.
“That’s what Grenada did, and they used the tourism money to pay for the bond,” Hawthorne said. Greenlee said the money was designated to be used for parks and recreations and that road “may be a bit of a stretch.”
The board then discussed House Bill 991, otherwise known as the Debt Collection bill, which gives counties and municipalities the ability to garnish a person’s state tax if they have outstanding bills or fines.
“But, they have to be working. That’s the only way this is going to work. We can’t garnish the federal, it’s only the state tax,” Hawthorne said.
He said the Mississippi Municipal League is heading it for all municipalities in Mississippi and once a list is compiled, they will send it to the Department of Revenue.
Also, the board approved a Community Facilities Program grant to purchase a new truck. “Our truck doesn’t go in reverse anymore,” he said “It’ll go but we have to push it to get it to back up.”
He said the loan could take a year before they know they’ve been approved. “We’re just trying to get it in the cue,” Hawthorne said.
Also, the board:
Approved a for the J.Z. George High School Class of 2020 to hold a car wash on July 20th at the Fire Department
Approved a purchase for air conditioners for the Vaiden High School Auditorium and Vaiden High School Gym.
