Former Mayor John Cox appeared before the city council to request funds that would contribute to refinement of the Greenville Cemetery.
Cox currently serves as president of the Greenville Cemetery Board and began his address to the council by explaining the Greenville cemetery is considered a Perpetual Care Cemetery and is also a historical cemetery because it is more than 100 years old.
“Perpetual Care cemeteries have funds that have been established through the years from the sale of lots where the Mississippi law requires you to put up a certain percent of lot sales to go into a perpetual care fund to take care of that cemetery for perpetuity,” he said.
Purchased in the 1930s, a section of the cemetery is owned by the city, which is behind and to the west of the entrance. An easement from the cemetery entrance to the city section is used to get back and forth.
In his efforts to ensure the cemetery is properly maintained as it is a perpetual care and historical cemetery, Cox told council members what the immediate needs were for the grounds as well as visuals of the major entrance to where the city section begins to help the council better apprehend those needs.
According to Cox, there is about a mile and a half of paved roads and some gravel roads of the cemetery that are not paved.
One of the projects geared toward maintaining the cemetery is the repaving of some of those roads.
For the last six years, the cemetery has hosted walking historical tours and with all of the foot traffic, Cox hopes to rectify any potentially dangerous spots in the cemetery.
“It’s a little dangerous in certain places but we’re gonna repave about 3,000 feet,” Cox said, “And, the cost of that has been authorized at $30,000.”
Cox said he estimated the project to cost roughly $6,800 to do the repaving and is hoping the city would consider contributing $5,000 to the project.
Councilman Bill Boykin made a motion to grant Cox’s request of the $5,000.
Councilman Wilson made a substitute motion to take the request under legal and financial advisement with there being possible private property circumstances to consider.
All board members agreed to Wilson’ motion.
