1%sales tax would be good

[quicksilver74]

Now I am not in favor of adding taxes to our already heavy laden backs, but a 1% sales tax is alot better than adding it to our property tax.

Adding it to sales tax would make the out of towners and the apartment renters pay more of their fair share.

[hendrixfreak70]

Is this a local tax that you're talking about?

[wilebill]

Raising any taxes is never good. If there's any way to do something without going through a tax raise, it should always be considered first.

I don't like it when the first option considered to accomplish something is through a tax hike. To me, that just seems like somebody's trying to take the easy way out.

[brianinms]

Now I am not in favor of adding taxes to our already heavy laden backs, but a 1% sales tax is alot better than adding it to our property tax.

Adding it to sales tax would make the out of towners and the apartment renters pay more of their fair share.

Why should people from out of town have to pay for improvements to the city? Additionally, companies that own the apartment complexes pay the appropriate taxes that are thus in turn collected via rent.

[quicksilver74]

Yes this would be the local taxes. Well in some groups in our city, the only tax they pay is sales tax. Why not let the out of towners pay for our intrastructure repairs. They are using our services, when they come into town.

Most people that live in the county, pay alot less tax, than us in the city. Basically we are getting taxed twice.

Our property taxes go up every year. Especially if you have a school system that asks for the maximum tax increase they can get.

A 1% increase in sales tax is alot easier to swallow than a 10% increase in property taxes.

[Conveyor Belt]

Apartment owners will pass that tax hike along to the tenants. Or, at least I would if I were an apartment owner.

You guys go ahead and raise that 1% up. I'll make sure I keep my dollars in Petal. We have a grocery store, a Wal-Mart and a Chili's. I can stay on this side of the river comfortably for a while...

[Fire Extinguisher]

Apartment owners will pass that tax hike along to the tenants. Or, at least I would if I were an apartment owner.

You guys go ahead and raise that 1% up. I'll make sure I keep my dollars in Petal. We have a grocery store, a Wal-Mart and a Chili's. I can stay on this side of the river comfortably for a while...

Yes Apt owners will pass it on.

You already pay higher taxes in H'burg than Petal at eating establishments... to pay for that other boondoggle... the Convention Center.

[Concernedforhburg]

I think the entire point is that tax's aren't the solution to solving the infrastructure repair needs of this city

First the council and Mayor should work closer together to develop and implement a plan to constantly work on the infrastructure. Why is it always a do or die situation with the city of Hattiesburg?

Lack of management and forethought is very apparent. A city the size of Hattiesburg should have in place plans for continued maintenance. Should the lack of maintenance planing be laid at the feet of Mr. Sellers or the Mayor/council? I'm thinking both should take the responsibility. But, simply blaming those involved doesn't solve the problem. I'm starting to believe that many people who are working for the city aren't qualified to handle such a large undertaking. "Where is Jerry Creel when we need experienced professional help?"

The next Mayor of Hattiesburg will be walking into a large mess regardless whom ever it is.

The next question now seems for me is, how is Hattiesburg to move forward. With the population on the increase, traffic growing, USM really growing, how is this small town mentality going to be able to keep up? Is the only solution, to agree with Mayor Dupree and hope the tax money ends up where he proposes? I have trust issues with the Mayor in that department. So far, nothing the mayor has done gives me comfort with his decision making process.

It is clear, something must be done, but what? How much? Where?

Why is the council members so silent in this matter? For me, it's more than just a vote about tax's. There is important projects which need to be completed. I don't agree with Mayor Dupree on his list of projects listed in Progress Hattiesburg proposal.

We are damned if we do, and damned if we don't.

[dollfus46]

Apartment owners will pass that tax hike along to the tenants. Or, at least I would if I were an apartment owner.

You guys go ahead and raise that 1% up. I'll make sure I keep my dollars in Petal. We have a grocery store, a Wal-Mart and a Chili's. I can stay on this side of the river comfortably for a while...
For a penny on the dollar? For an extra twenty cents on a fine steak dinner w/vino? I don't get it. Every August we have a "free sales tax day" You can't get near the malls. People kill themselves for a nickel on the dollar. I can save that by waiting until the next day by not having to drive around looking for parking. Sheeesh. And I don't have a heart attack from the frustration of getting and giving the middle digit.:-D

[dollfus46]

Yes Apt owners will pass it on.

You already pay higher taxes in H'burg than Petal at eating establishments... to pay for that other boondoggle... the Convention Center.
Make people show ID's before entering the convention center and bar Petal folks.:smt118

[Fire Extinguisher]

Make people show ID's before entering the convention center and bar Petal folks.:smt118

I'm for that... after working for the good old COH for 30 years, if possible I would stay out of the city all the time.... have to go to Church there for now and for now have to pass through on my way to work.... once I move out of Petal to south of the 'burg I may not ever cross the line again.

[Fire Extinguisher]

Even better dollfus... they should put up a toll booth at the bridges.........

[countrygirl]

Apartment owners will pass that tax hike along to the tenants. Or, at least I would if I were an apartment owner.

You guys go ahead and raise that 1% up. I'll make sure I keep my dollars in Petal. We have a grocery store, a Wal-Mart and a Chili's. I can stay on this side of the river comfortably for a while...

I don't live in the Petal or Hattiesburg city limits but do a lot of shopping in both places. I'll make sure to do all of it in Petal if Hattiesburg passes this tax. As soon as Petal gets a Lowes, about the only thing they will need is a couple of decent department stores like Penney's or Belks. That won't be a problem for me though as I travel to other cities often and I buy most of my clothes when I travel.

[TheKing]

yes lets tax the people to death as opposed to holding those people we elect and to control our money and infrastructure accountable and demand they figure out how to do it otherwise

[dollfus46]

Heck, I may move back to Petal and open a nice family style restaurant. Home cooking, served family style at big tables. Add a movie house in the back. Take the family out to dinner and a DECENT movie, sans cursing, nudity and great violence. Maybe show some classics if all the movies out are X rated. That'd work well I think. Oh, and kids under 12 eat free and get in the movie for $1 Movies start at 5:30 and 7:30 so you can eat, take in a movie anytime during the week and get the kids home and in bed at a decent hour.

[Fire Extinguisher]

Heck, I may move back to Petal and open a nice family style restaurant. Home cooking, served family style at big tables. Add a movie house in the back. Take the family out to dinner and a DECENT movie, sans cursing, nudity and great violence. Maybe show some classics if all the movies out are X rated. That'd work well I think. Oh, and kids under 12 eat free and get in the movie for $1 Movies start at 5:30 and 7:30 so you can eat, take in a movie anytime during the week and get the kids home and in bed at a decent hour.



Hurry Up!

[Concernedforhburg]

"In a 4-1 vote, the measure will now have to gain the approval of the state Legislature and then Gov. Haley Barbour before it returns to Hattiesburg where residents will be given the chance to vote on the plan."

"Ward 4 Councilman Dave Ware was the only dissenting vote. "

Is anyone surprised by the vote? I was not. I expected Mr. Bradley to support Mayor Dupree. I hope he does not expect my support when he announces this run for Mayor.

[dollfus46]

yes lets tax the people to death as opposed to holding those people we elect and to control our money and infrastructure accountable and demand they figure out how to do it otherwise

But they aren't bright enough or they are too lazy to figure it out. So they take the easy way and just reach in your pocket.:smt086

[Concernedforhburg]

I wanted to add a little information for everyone. At lunch today at The Pastry Garden (old Gordon Creek Deli), we were talking about the proposed additional one percent tax.

To my surprise, out of a group of ten, only one agreed with the idea of the additional tax.

It was agreed by everyone, they would shop out of town for most major purchases instead of shopping in Hattiesburg if the additional tax was passed into law.

I was rather surprised by that. How many other residents would do the same. Is one percent increase worth the expense of gas as it nears $ 4.00 a gallon to avoid the tax? Seems like we are damned either way.

I wish it was election time again.

[quicksilver74]

I doubt if the legislature will pass it, then I doubt the citizens of Hattiesburg will pass it.

Anything is better than raising property taxes. They are high enough.

If you want to hold any one accountable, then lets hold our school supert.'s they spend money like water and keep going to the trough for more!

Of course it is for the children. Heck our kids should be brillant by now.

[BLAW]

As a small retail business owner, my biggest competition is the "Internet". They charge NO SALES TAX. The additional 1% sales tax will only have more people buying on-line. When that happens, businesses will need fewer employee's. Fewer employee's means fewer purchases. Fewer purchases means LESS sales tax dollars to repair the roads, etc.

[Ted]

Why should people from out of town have to pay for improvements to the city? Additionally, companies that own the apartment complexes pay the appropriate taxes that are thus in turn collected via rent.Dead on.
And - apartment dwellers can't claim homestead exemption or deductions for interest on a mortgage.

We're paying more that a 'fair share'.

Leaving that aside -
Mississippi already has the highest sales tax of any state except California.
Check it out. (http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/sales.html)

[quicksilver74]

I 2nd that on online sales tax. We need to get that money that is leaving the state.

Homestead exemption isn't that much anymore.

[Luvia]

I don't live in the Petal or Hattiesburg city limits but do a lot of shopping in both places. I'll make sure to do all of it in Petal if Hattiesburg passes this tax. As soon as Petal gets a Lowes, about the only thing they will need is a couple of decent department stores like Penney's or Belks. That won't be a problem for me though as I travel to other cities often and I buy most of my clothes when I travel.


Shop online! I rarely go to "real" stores anymore (except for groceries) and certainly avoid the mall like the plague. Online shopping is a lot less hassle.

[wilebill]

As a small retail business owner, my biggest competition is the "Internet". They charge NO SALES TAX. The additional 1% sales tax will only have more people buying on-line. When that happens, businesses will need fewer employee's. Fewer employee's means fewer purchases. Fewer purchases means LESS sales tax dollars to repair the roads, etc.That's not quite true. If an online store has a presence in MS, then they have to charge MS sales taxes on any purchases made. This would include stores like Best Buy, Sears, Wal-Mart, etc.

Even if that particular online retailer doesn't have an in-state presence, you're supposed to pay use taxes on anything that you buy over the internet. This is especially true if you're a business buying stuff online because eventually the gov't will probably find out about it.

Just setting the record straight.

[countrygirl]

Shop online! I rarely go to "real" stores anymore (except for groceries) and certainly avoid the mall like the plague. Online shopping is a lot less hassle.
I do shop online some, but I have to try on many of my clothes...I'm really hard to fit. I'm going to some of the big outlets up in Ohio when I'm visiting there in a couple of weeks. Hopefully I'll be lucky and find some stuff to stock up on...

By the way, I wonder how much trying to get this tax passed will cost the city of Hattiesburg? They'll have to lobby to get it past the legislature and governor, then will they do a special election? As I don't think it will ever pass, so they should save the money and put it towards some of the things they want to do.