Legislators approve local assessments, restaurant/hotel taxes and a bonding increase for several counties and cities

A legislative committee advanced multiple local finance measures on voice votes, including per-conviction assessments to fund detention and courthouse projects in several counties, a requested increase to a county economic development authority—s bonding cap, and local-option restaurant and hotel taxes that must be approved by voters.

The most immediate actions were a set of bills that add assessments to misdemeanor and certain DUI convictions. Senator Suber explained a bill for Calhoun County that would add a $25 assessment "on top of each conviction in justice court and circuit court in Calhoun County" and a $50 assessment for convictions under the implied consent law, with revenue directed to pretrial detention facilities and the Calhoun County courthouse. Similar bills for Lincoln County, Chickasaw County and Union County were described by other senators; each contained the same $25/$50 structure and designated local detention- or courthouse-related funds as recipients.

Senator Sewell described a bill requested by the city of Water Valley that would allow voters to authorize a 1% tax on restaurants in town to promote tourism and support parks and recreation; that measure would be submitted to the city—s voters. A separate House bill presented for the city of Richland would, if approved by…