In the four years that I participated in the TPSD board meetings, the number of votes that were not unanimous could be counted on one hand. No, the city should not commit itself to a minimum budget each year. The mayor should submit a list of overlaying projects for the fiscal year with the city budget. The project list should explain why the street is being overlaid and the last time the street was overlaid. Our overlay program should be a long-term solution to a problem, not a quick fix.
Annexation is almost certain to be an issue facing the next council and mayor.
Yes, I favor expansion of the city's boundaries. Before we annex again, city services must be provided to all previously annexed areas. As for the areas that should be annexed, the city's boundaries should be expanded to meet the current boundaries of the Tupelo Public School District. This would allow the city to provide services to the new areas faster and more economically while allowing the city to provide new infrastructure to the current city services. We should not annex any area unless we can provide full city service within five years of annexation.