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Mississippi Development Authority requests roughly $26.4M in general funds, details tourism split and energy accelerator
Summary
MDA told the appropriations subcommittee it is seeking about $26.4 million in general funds for FY27, wants to restore 19 unfunded pins, and proposed separating tourism into a stand‑alone agency while advancing an energy accelerator and America250 marketing requests.
Bill Cork, speaking for the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), told the Senate appropriations subcommittee that the agency’s FY27 general‑fund request is about $26.4 million and that its special‑fund operating request is roughly $282 million.
Brian Daniel, the agency’s financial analyst, said the budget would restore previously reduced positions and asked the committee to fund 19 pins that are included in the appropriation but currently lack salary support. "We're covered up. We're busy. We're having a lot of success," Cork said, listing roughly $65 billion in capital investment since 2020 and about 25,000 jobs as recent MDA results.
Daniel outlined how the general‑fund increase would be used: a roughly $600,000 career‑ladder pilot intended to improve mid‑career retention, about $300,000 to implement a more robust HR system, roughly $250,000 for expanded staff training, $1 million in operating funds to offset restrictions on agency transfers, and about $1.7 million to cover pins that currently have no funding.
On incentives, the agency said refill requests are "pretty standard" this year but that some ACE grant refill funding was shifted into the governor’s executive budget request for port/rail investment and energy‑ready sites.
MDA also sought continued funding for America250 marketing and events, asking roughly $1.25 million to support state marketing and two major events, and described an "energy accelerator" concept to help manufacturers and utilities obtain long‑lead equipment faster for grid‑related projects.
The agency presented a budget breakout that would enable a stand‑alone tourism department if the legislature chooses to separate tourism from MDA. Daniel said separating tourism would shift roughly $5–6 million out of MDA and that the net additional state cost to stand up a tourism department — after factoring an expiring federal grant and identified plus‑ups — was estimated at about $1.3 million in the documents provided.
The committee did not take a vote on any of the requests. After roughly an hour of questioning on budget details, tourism separation and the energy fund concept, the subcommittee moved to hear the Department of Human Services.
