Tupelo nonprofits and judges seek one-time city funding during budget hearing

At the Tupelo City Council’s Aug. 5 public hearing on the city budget, representatives of local nonprofits and two juvenile-court judges described services they provide to Tupelo residents and asked the council to consider one-time funding to expand those programs.

The requests came during the council’s open public hearing on the budget. Speakers described services for children, people experiencing homelessness, victims of abuse and families affected by substance misuse, and asked the council to consider specific one-time amounts to seed or expand programs.

Robbie Parma, director of the Regional Rehab Center, thanked the city for long-standing support and outlined the center’s services, saying the agency provides physical, occupational and speech therapy, early intervention and dyslexia services without billing Medicaid for some services. Parma said the center saw “1,552 people” in the past year, including “over 800” from Lee County and about “350” from the city of Tupelo, and that the center provided “over 40,000 services” to city residents and more than 120,000 services regionally.

Judge Steven Spencer, who said he serves as Lee County’s truancy judge, described the county’s truancy caseload and told the council the court needs paid staff to carry out outreach and counseling. Spencer said the court is requesting $50,000 this year to support truancy counseling and related services for students who have accumulated 12 or more unexcused absences.

Judge Bevel asked the council to consider a $50,000 one-time seed grant to launch a family intervention (treatment) court tied to opioid-settlement funding. Bevel said the court would seek state opioid-settlement proceeds and other matching funds and that North Mississippi Medical Center’s neuroscience department has agreed to partner as the medical provider.

Dr. Zoe, a representative of SAFE (a domestic-violence shelter in Tupelo), described shelter and housing services for women and children. Dr. Zoe said SAFE housed 154 women and children this year, provided crisis calls and court advocacy, and has spent $473,287 in rental assistance and about $40,000 in utility assistance year to date. SAFE requested $25,000 from the city, saying that amount can be matched to $50,000 through grant matches and would allow the shelter to house five additional residents in Lee County.

Sarah Kitchens, deputy executive director of Easterseals Mississippi, described the agency’s children’s advocacy center that conducts forensic interviews and victim advocacy for children and vulnerable adults. Kitchens said Easterseals serves eight counties with Lee County its largest, that the center had served about 193 Lee County children this year, and asked the council for $10,000 to continue services.

The council did not vote on any of the funding requests during the hearing; the remarks were presented as part of the public hearing on the budget. No formal direction to staff or commitments of city funds were recorded on the public record during those comments.

The requests were presented amid other budget items the council discussed later in the meeting, including an amendment to the fiscal‑year 2025 budget and several project approvals.

How the council acts on the one-time requests will appear in future meeting agendas if members direct staff to add them to the budget or a supplemental appropriation.