page_title: Hattiesburg, Mississippi
section_title: Government
hierarchical_section_title: Hattiesburg, Mississippi / Government
caption_attribution_description: English: Hattiesburg City Hall Español: Ayuntamiento de Hattiesburg
context_page_description: Hattiesburg is a city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, primarily in Forrest County and extending west into Lamar County. The city population was 45,989 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 45,863 in 2019.
  It is the principal city of the Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties.
  Development of the interior of Mississippi by European Americans took place primarily after the American Civil War. Before that time, only properties along the major rivers were developed as plantations. Founded in 1882 by civil engineer William H. Hardy, Hattiesburg was named in honor of Hardy's wife Hattie. The town was incorporated two years later with a population of 400. Hattiesburg's population first expanded as a center of the lumber and railroad industries, from which was derived the nickname "The Hub City". It now attracts newcomers because of the diversity of its economy, strong neighborhoods, and the central location in South Mississippi.
  Hattiesburg is home to The University of Southern Mississippi and William Carey University.
context_section_description: Hattiesburg is governed via a mayor-council system. The mayor, currently Toby Barker, is elected at large. The city council consists of five members who are each elected from one of five wards, known as single-member districts. The current city council consists of the members Nicholas Brown, Jeffrey George, Carter Carroll, Mary Dryden, and Deborah Delgado. Sharon Waits currently holds the position of Chief Financial Officer for the city. Lamar Rutland, a native of Hattiesburg and certified professional Civil Engineer, was appointed in 2014 as the city's Director of Engineering. The current Director of Urban Development is Pattie Brantley. The department currently employs 24 persons.
caption: Hattiesburg City Hall
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