With little fanfare, the Greenwood City Council approved the city’s $11.6 million 2014 budget Tuesday.
The six council members who were present all voted for the budget, which goes into effect Oct. 1. Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings was absent.
Council President Ronnie Stevenson said the budget was the product of relentless cutting throughout all departments. However, Mayor Carolyn McAdams has said it contains no cuts in city employees or services.
The budget issue came up early in the meeting when Brantley Snipes, executive director of Main Street Greenwood, asked if the city would consider putting up $15,000 in prize money for participation in the Memphis Barbecue Network’s Invitational 2014, which would be held March 1.
“This is short notice for us,” Stevenson said.
Snipes apologized about the notice but she said she just found out about the competition herself. She appeared before the council with Zach Luke, the chairman of the “’Que on the Yazoo” competition.
That competition, held this year during the River to the Rails festival, featured the “Patio Division” of the Memphis Barbecue Network. Snipes said the 2014 invitational would include all barbecue teams from the network’s three divisions, which would translate into bigger, nationally recognized teams coming to Greenwood.
She said 50 teams would occupy two hotel rooms each.
McAdams said she was concerned that the city would also have to cover the judges’ lodging expenses. Snipes said that often they work out reduced room rents with hotels and motels.
Snipes said that although Main Street doesn’t have funds for the invitational, her office would be willing to organize the event. The deadline for bids is Sept. 20.
Stevenson told Snipes the council would consider the proposal.
The council also approved the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau budget of $413,500, which is derived from a 1 percent lodging tax.
“Last year, in Leflore County, visitors spent $53.8 million. That’s about a 2 percent increase over the previous fiscal year,” CVB Executive Director Hunt reported to the council.
She said that translates into $550 of tax relief for the average citizen of Leflore County
Tourism directly provides some 755 jobs in the county, Hunt said.
She said that statewide 21.3 million people visit each year and they spend $6.16 billion. That translates to “$11,700 per minute statewide,” Hunt said.
The city will host the 2014 Mississippi-Alabama Rural Tourism Conference, scheduled for Oct. 20-22. It is expected to draw between 150 and 175 visitors, Hunt said.
She said that since Oct. 1, 2012, the bureau has distributed 5,394 copies of tour guides related to filming sites for “The Help,” 4,153 tour maps of sites related to bluesman Robert Johnson and 5,190 welcome bags for reunions and other events.
In other action, the council approved:
• Permitting retiring Police Chief Henry Purnell to purchase his city-issued sidearm for $1.
• A certificate of appropriateness to Howard and March LLC for renovation to the façade at 123 Main St.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
