In addition to the laundry list of local projects, lawmakers also sent $30 million to state agencies, $40 million to community colleges, and $75.1 million to public universities and IHL. See what’s in the spending bill.
Artificial turf for an Ocean Springs sports complex.
Buying instruments for high school music programs through the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Jackson.
Expansion and renovation of a sports complex in Columbia.
Installation of exhibits and acoustics for a Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center in Gautier.
Assisting Jones County Economic Development Authority in paying various costs for the Ben and Erin Napier Center.
All of these and more are among the $253 million in approved local improvement projects funded by the Mississippi Legislature through cash reserves just two days before members wrapped up the 2026 session.
Whether all of the appropriations survive the scrutiny of Governor Tate Reeves (R) remains to be seen. Reeves has shown the willingness in previous sessions to use his line item veto authority to cut down on spending on such earmarks.
A large portion of the hundreds of approved projects in SB 2189 dealt with local infrastructure requests from municipalities and counties across Mississippi for water and sewer improvements, street and bridge repairs, or paving, along with funding for fire trucks, fire stations, drones, patrol cars, police equipment and emergency management facility repairs. There were also funds included for new municipal and county buildings or renovations to city halls or other local facilities.
The top five highest dollar appropriations made for the local projects were:
- $13 million – LeFleur’s Bluff State Park improvements in Jackson
- $10 million – State Highway 18 flyover bridge in Rankin County
- $10 million – Construction of a new regional wastewater treatment system through the DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority
- $10 million – Design, construction and furnishing of the Vicksburg Civil War Interpretive Center through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History
- $8 million – Water, sewer and road infrastructure improvements in Senatobia’s downtown historic district
Other notable local projects listed among the over 300 included in SB 2189 are:
- $4 million – A new high school for Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District on the campus of Mississippi State University
- $2 million – City of Tupelo’s Blue Suede development project
- $1 million – Institute for Marine Mammal Studies for Ocean Adventures Marine Park
- $750,000 – Design, creation and installation for exhibits and acoustics build-out at the Mississippi Songwriters Performing Arts Center in Gautier
- $750,000 – Purchase and renovation of the Attala County Coliseum by the Kosciusko Separate School District
- $700,000 – East Central High School lighting project for Jackson County School District
- $500,000 – Various costs for the Ben and Erin Napier Center through the Jones County Economic Development Authority
- $500,000 – Expansion, renovation, and improvement of the City of Columbia sports complex
- $400,000 – Construction of a new Farmer’s Market in the City of Pontotoc
- $400,000 – New terminal construction through the Meridian Airport Authority
- $350,000 – Purchasing artificial turf for the City of Ocean Spring’s Highway 57 sports complex
- $350,000 – Acquisition and replacement of musical instruments for Mississippi high school music programs through the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in Jackson
- $300,000 – Construction of the Chautauqua Amphitheater, including the stage, in the City of Crystal Springs
- $300,000 – Upgrades to the medical lodge at Camp Tiak in Wiggins through the Pine Burr Area Boy Scout Council – South Mississippi Scouting
- $250,000 – Upgrades to the Pete Brown Golf Facility in the City of Jackson
- $200,000 – Middle school facility upgrades in Oxford School District
- $200,000 – Assisting with renovations of a former Methodist church to be a library in the Town of Pickens
- $150,000 – Various projects through the Ripley Main Street Association
- $100,000 – Various projects through the Boys and Girls Club of Tippah County
- $75,000 – Capital improvement for the Jacinto Courthouse and related facilities in Alcorn County through the Jacinto Foundation, Inc.
- $50,000 – Renovations to the historic McMackin House in the City of Pontotoc
- $25,000 – Various costs for the American Legion Post 82 in Ackerman
- $25,000 – Various costs for the VFW Post 3806 in Eupora
- $25,000 – Various cost for the VFW Post 79 in the City of Meridian
In addition to the earmarked laundry list of local projects, lawmakers also agreed to send $30 million to state agencies for repairs and renovations. Another $40 million went to Mississippi’s community colleges and $75.1 million was appropriated to the state’s public universities and the Institutions of Higher Learning for facility construction, repairs and renovations as well as for technology upgrades.
To see what all is in the spending bill, scroll through the legislation attached below.
-- Article credit to Frank Corder for the Magnolia Tribune --
