It’s bill paying time all over the county of Hancock this week and next as all 3 cities, the county, and the 2 school districts publish their claim dockets on their agendas.
Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Diamondhead all have their first meetings of November tonight.
Bay St. Louis at 5:30pm in their council chambers behind the shell station at Highway 90 and Main St.
Waveland at 6:30pm at board room in city hall on Coleman Avenue
Diamondhead at 6:00pm at city hall in Diamondhead
The Hancock County Board of supervisors met yesterday, Nov. 1, at 9:00am at government complex on Highway 90 in Bay St. Louis. All of their meetings are archived for viewing by gong to their website, click on supervisors, agendas, and select meeting date.
Yesterday the supervisors paid bills in the amount of $1,973,035.00 for their first docket in November. They will meet again in 2 weeks or sooner if a special meeting is called.
Bay St. Louis’ docket online today has a docket to approve and pay tonight of $495,578.95.
Waveland has a docket amount published on their agenda today for tonight’s meeting of $808,038.03.
Diamondhead has a published docket total for approval tonight of $113,943.00.
That brings us to a total of $3,390,594.98 for the first meetings in November, 2021.
Both school districts will meet next week. Will get those totals out when published by them.
Please note that Diamondhead’s docket is much smaller because they have no police, fire, water or sewer (public works) to fund. Their city clerk and comptroller aren’t nearly as busy as the rest of the public entities.
The continuing spending deficit at the Bay St. Louis municipal harbor as published by their city clerk is down to $27,742.22 this month.
Interesting to note that the council in Bay St. Louis more than tripled their legal budget at the harbor from $20,000 last fiscal year to $60,200 this fiscal year. This is over and above the budget for the city attorney, who i am told is not handling the lawsuit at the harbor.
According to the current revenue and expense report on the harbor, council also did not go up on slip rental fees. Still budgeted under revenues at $384,000.
As of July 14, 2021, not quite 4 months ago, the city clerk reported:
Harbor can accommodate 214 vessels—13 transient slips—
179 active slip leases at that time
19 slips were not bringing in revenue because 12 were still damaged from hurricane zeta, and 7 were not paying their rent. Hope the non-payers have been evicted in accordance with the slip rental policy published on the city’s website in order to advertise those slips to boat owners who will pay.
The Bay St. Louis city officials choose not to ever discuss the financial circumstances at their harbor.
Taxpayers can study it for themselves by going to city website financial link–“revenue and expense reports” scroll all the way to the bottom for the “municipal harbor report”
Will have school district financial report next week when they are published
Lana Noonan
Hancock County Alliance For Good Government