The City of Winona will soon receive $1 million in appropriation funds from the State of Mississippi to pave streets in the city. The funds were part of the 2021 appropriations bill, Senate Bill 2971 Section 117, adopted during the 2021 Legislative session.
The appropriation was sought by Representative Karl Oliver (R-Winona), who provided the city with a list of streets he felt should be made a priority for future paving. Those streets include Summit Street, from Highway 51 to Front Street; South Quitman Street; a section of Tyler Holmes Drive; and a section of Alberta Drive among others.
Oliver said he presented the city with streets he felt should be prioritized in the project.
“Summit Street was number one on my list because it is the main artery to downtown Winona,” Oliver said.
Oliver said he was approached by former Mayor Jerry Flowers prior to the 2021 Legislative Session about finding funding to use for street paving.
“This is something we worked on all last year leading up to the 2021 session,” Oliver said. “I came up with a list of streets I thought were a priority and shared it with [Flowers].”
Oliver said his initial appropriations plan was for $1.5 million, however, only two-thirds of it was funded.
“If we would have gotten [the $1.5 million] it would have gotten us in really good shape as far as infrastructure,” Oliver said. “Given that we were only able to get two-thirds of what I attempted to get, I suggested to [Mayor Aaron Dees] that we cut the project by one-third. I have no control over what [the city] does, but I hope at least to get the streets that were a priority on that list.”
This is the third year Winona has received a state appropriation for infrastructure improvements. In 2019, Winona received $300,000 to pave Powell Street. In 2020, it received $500,000 to pave Montgomery Street and several secondary streets.
Oliver said mayors and supervisors in Carroll and Montgomery counties inform him of their financial needs, and he does what he can to fill that need.
Also included in this year’s appropriations bill was $500,000 for the Town of Carrollton to correct drainage issues, and $150,000 for Montgomery County to resurface a portion of Fisher Road.
Kilmichael received $200,000 in previous years for road improvements.
“I’m not finished,” Oliver said. “There are potential projects the county’s working on, some in Carroll and Montgomery counties. We are going to try to get those projects accomplished also. All of those are focused on economic development and growth of the community. I hope we can get them all done.”
