Long Beach

Long Beach Mayor George Bass said that, while the city is still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, it is also looking toward future growth.

“We’ve had a growth in small businesses here. Our sales tax has continued to go up. We were just shy of 18,000 prior to Katrina, and then in 2010 when we had the census, we were right at 14,000,” Bass said. “We lost a lot of our folks, even though we worked very hard to get the schools back open immediately, to house and keep our teachers here. We still had folks that had to leave because the jobs disappeared, but now, the 2020 census shows we’re almost 18,000 again, so we’re growing.”

For the 2025 legislative session, Bass’ main concern is the resistance among lawmakers to further casino expansion along the Gulf Coast.

“Last year’s legislative session, there was a run to stop allowing any more casinos on the coast. Well, the coast is probably the largest contributor to state taxes. It comes from the coast, and they’re wanting to limit a legal business,” Bass said.

Bass argued a casino in Long Beach could generate significant tax revenue to fund civil services, such as the city’s fire and police departments.

“Just a basic $70 million-a-year casino in gaming revenue would generate a little over $4 million in tax funds for the city of Long Beach and almost $4 million for the Long Beach municipal separate school district here. That would be big for both of us,” Bass said. “And that’s just based on $70 million. Think if it’s $100 million or $110 million —our first-year gaming revenue.”

Another key priority for Bass is ensuring continued access to the Gulf Coast Restoration Fund, which allocates BP oil spill settlement money to affected areas.

“Governor Tate Reeves has been very, very generous with us, great to work with, and he’s used that revenue money he has — that is at his discretion — to apply it back to the coast, where it should be. I would think that needs to continue,” Bass said.

Bass stressed that the oil spill’s impact was most felt in Gulf Coast communities.

“There was nobody in Pearl River County, or Stone County, or George County, even any more northern counties that were affected by that oil spill — we were. We were the ones that woke up every morning, went to sleep every night, and could smell the oil,” Bass said. “It was very pungent, very noticeable, and we were all breathing it. So, I think that whatever funds BP paid should come back here.”

The mayor also highlighted the importance of state funding for education, noting Mississippi’s recent improvement in national rankings.

“The state of Mississippi went from being last in the nation to the low 30s in education. We have other states come to find out what we did to do that, and I think that’s wonderful,” Bass said. “I think that it’s great that the state invested that money in education to do that, take us from being near the bottom to mid(-level) and continue that — get us into the top 10.”

Bass also addressed the state’s ongoing discussion about reducing the 7% grocery tax, which could significantly impact municipal revenue.

“I think they can, and I think they probably will. They did that when they did lower the car tax, several years ago, and that was offset by other revenue sources,” Bass said. “We’ll begin earnestly in January, lobbying them to make sure that they take care of the municipalities too, and the counties.”

Infrastructure remains a pressing issue for Long Beach, particularly roadways, sidewalks and drainage systems. Bass said his experience as the city’s emergency management director during Hurricane Katrina highlighted the need for a connector between Highway 90 and I-10 in west Harrison County. He worked on the project with state and federal legislators and said Long Beach could enjoy a nearby connector at a cost of about $8 million to the city. 

“There’s a lot of things that are still in the works, that’ll be going on certainly after I leave,” Bass said. “I think we’ve accomplished a lot, but there’s a lot still that we’re chasing.” 

Pass Christian

Pass Christian Mayor Jimmy Rafferty said the Gulf Coast’s smallest city is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

“We’ve been very fortunate working with our state legislators in getting grants to help enter into public-private partnerships and develop downtown Pass Christian,” Rafferty said. “However, there’s still a lot of green grass downtown. So, I’m hoping to continue to work with our state legislators and get additional grants to help with these public-private partnerships and fill in the blanks to where we were before Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Camille.”

Rafferty pointed to several successful state-supported projects, including the reconstruction of St. Paul Church and improvements to piers, water, sewage and railway infrastructure.

“With continued support, I’m very confident that we’ll be able to bring Pass Christian back to where it was before the storms, and, as a result of that, I think that will help enhance the attraction for people coming to Pass Christian and also just helping to make it safer,” Rafferty said.

For the 2025 legislative session, Rafferty is also closely monitoring the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS).

During the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a bill rescinding the PERS governing board’s authority to increase the contribution rate levied on state and local governments. The board had proposed a 5% increase over three years, which legislators phased in at 0.5% annually over five years.

“Right now, we’re dealing with some very complicated issues, like PERS, the retirement program, and that impacts our roughly 100 employees here, especially when, about a year ago, we were facing a very steep increase. Fortunately, the Legislature came in with sort of a phased-in approach of increasing that,” Rafferty said. “So, that’s an issue, and I have faith. We have some very talented people in Jackson, and I have a lot of faith in them coming up with the right solution.”

Rafferty is also watching discussions on reducing the state’s 7% grocery tax, which provides municipalities with 18.5% of the collected revenue. For Pass Christian, which relies heavily on tax revenue from its Wal-Mart, any changes could significantly impact the city’s finances.

“I’m very excited about getting the input from the state legislators in coming up with a solution,” Rafferty said. “If we’re able to come up with a solution whereby, okay, we are able to eliminate the grocery tax or reduce the grocery tax, however, we’re able to help benefit small towns like Pass Christian.”

The city’s economy is driven by Gulf Coast tourism, and Rafferty emphasized the importance of environmental recovery following the Bonnet Carré Spillway openings.

“Now, of course, one thing we want to make sure — that New Orleans is safe. However, I think if we do a more effective job of dredging the Mississippi River, then you won’t have the need to open the Bonnet Carré Spillway, as they did in 2019,” Rafferty said. “It dumped all that fresh (water) and polluted water and killed all of our oysters.”

RHCJC staffers reached out to the mayor of D’Iberville for this story. Their perspective will be added once they respond to our requests.

Your Voice Matters!

We’re reaching out to mayors across our 10-county area to learn about their priorities for the 2025 legislative session. This is an ongoing series, and we want to hear from you! If there’s a specific topic you’d like us to ask your elected officials about, email us at rhcjcnews.com.