Council adopts municipal food-and-beverage tax fund, names Lyon Street for educator Cecil J. Harper

The Hammond Common Council voted to create a new municipal food-and-beverage tax fund and to honor local educator Cecil J. Harper with an honorary street designation at its Feb. 23 meeting.

Ordinance 26-05: food-and-beverage fund. The council voted in favor of Ordinance 26-05, which establishes Fund 3399 to receive municipal food-and-beverage tax receipts. The ordinance carried on a roll-call vote recorded by the clerk as nine in favor. Councilman Emerson moved for final passage and the clerk recorded the affirmative votes.

Claims accepted. Earlier in the meeting the council accepted claims dated Feb. 4 through Feb. 18, with a reported total of $6,521,802.25 after a motion by Councilman Wuerpel and a second; the roll call recorded nine in favor (including one virtual vote).

Ordinance 26-06: honorary Cecil J. Harper Way. Council members Tyler and Alexander introduced Ordinance 26-06 to designate the 1100 block of Lyon Street as honorary Cecil J. Harper Way and read Mr. Harper’s biography. Members moved to suspend the rules to allow third-and-final passage that evening; suspension carried on roll call. Family members Kimberly Harper and Bernina Harper spoke to thank the council after the measure passed.

Why it matters: The food-and-beverage fund creates a discrete accounting line to track these revenues for municipal uses; the honorary street recognizes a long-serving educator who the ordinance record says served Hammond youth and was active in Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.

What’s next: The ordinance establishing the fund is in effect per final passage. The honorary-street designation is ceremonial; no change to property ownership or addresses was recorded during the meeting.

Sources: Roll-call readouts, ordinance readings and family remarks recorded during the Feb. 23 council meeting.