With re-election looming in 2013, Greenwood Mayor Carolyn McAdams says she has a number of projects in the pipeline — with Phases I and II of the linear park at the top of the list.
The park, which uses the old rail bed of the Columbus & Greenville Railroad, runs from downtown to U.S. 82.
Converting the rail bed into a vibrant community-friendly environment will enhance the whole city, she said.
Also, in January, McAdams will present a proposed 2 percent local lodging tax to the City Council.
The proposed tax — which will require approval by the entire seven-member council — would be applied only to guests who stay in Greenwood hotels and motels. It would be used to fund tourist development projects within the city.
If approved by the council, the measure next would go before the state Legislature for a vote and then to the governor’s desk.
If citizens gathered 1,500 signatures from eligible voters, the measure would be subject to a referendum during the general election in June, she said.
McAdams said revenue from the lodging tax could be used to support local projects such as the refurbishing of the Russell Building downtown. The city acquired the structure in December 2010.
The mayor has said for some time that the building, if renovated, would fill a need if made into a downtown convention center.
McAdams also said seeing the Baptist Town revitalization through to its conclusion is also in the cards for 2013.
“We ought to be ramping that up. All the key components are in place,” she said.
In January, Emily Roush Elliott, an Enterprise Rose Fellow with the Enterprise Community Partners Inc., will begin a three-year fellowship working specifically on Baptist Town.
McAdams said the pace is slower than she would like, specifically referring to the placement of “Katrina cottages” in the historically significant black community.
The donated houses, which the city received from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, are the type used on the Gulf Coast to replace FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina.
“The city cannot place the cottages. That’s going to have to be the Housing Authority or the Fuller Center for Housing,” she said.
Several smaller changes are also coming to Greenwood, the mayor said.
McAdams said she’ll present to the council next year a revised policy and procedures manual for all city employees, replacing one that as been constantly updated.
“It was never a uniform manual. Some of the policies had not been updated in 10 to 15 years,” she said.
The new manual, extensively reviewed by the city’s department heads, will cover all city employees — from firefighters to police officers, from city clerks to sanitation workers.
The mayor is also hoping to unveil the Yazoo River walking trail to the public, possibly as soon as early March.
“I want people to use that area. Maybe we’ll have a ribbon-cutting,” she said.
McAdams said she will seek a second and final term as mayor in 2013.
“I hope my record speaks for itself. We still have a lot to do,” she said.
• Contact Bob Darden at 581-7239 or bdarden@gwcommonwealth.com.
