Moss Point
Moss Point Mayor Billy Knight Sr. said the city has experienced a significant decline in industry and population over the past 30 years, with many families and businesses relocating to nearby Pascagoula.
To reverse this trend, Knight’s top priority for the 2025 legislative session is securing state funding for economic development projects and creating a tax structure that can sustain the city’s infrastructure and services.
“Moss Point needs to get to a point that it could stand on its own feet, and until you get good economic development coming in here, we’re going to have to have the legislative support,” Knight said. “What I’m asking (legislators) to do is help us get on our feet, and once we get on our feet, then we can stay on our feet and do more for ourselves, but we’re just asking for a hand up, now, not a handout, but a hand up.”
Nestled along the Escatawpa River, a tributary of the Pascagoula River, Moss Point has potential as a hub for recreation and entertainment. Knight envisions transforming the city’s waterfront into a mixed-use development, supported by state grants to improve roads, drainage and other infrastructure.
Flooding, a persistent issue in Moss Point, strains the city’s aging drainage system. Knight said the city needs state assistance to make necessary improvements.
“Many of our cities flood, but Moss Point really floods a lot. It doesn’t take much for our streets to flood and get into peoples’ homes — we’ve got a bad infrastructure. A lot of it is about the infrastructure that just wasn’t designed to handle this water that we get sometimes,” Knight said. “It’s also part of just maintaining the ditches, keeping them clean, and making sure you got the right size culverts.”
Healthcare is another concern. While residents benefit from Pascagoula’s Singing River Hospital, Knight said those without reliable transportation face limited access to care. He added that the state’s refusal to expand Medicaid has hurt rural communities like Moss Point.
Knight also highlighted the underfunding of Moss Point’s police and fire departments, stressing that improvements to city infrastructure would lead to more development and a stronger tax base, which could better support essential services.
“It’s all tied to resources, and how do you get resources? Economic development. You’ve got to get businesses in here that will help you bring in the resources you need to provide these services,” Knight said.
“If you help me develop downtown Moss Point and the interstate, you know, then we’re going to draw those kinds of people here that would help the city overall. We’ve got more tax base from businesses, but then you’ve got people living here that are buying homes. You’ve got the taxes that you’re getting from them because that’s going to grow. They’re in our school district, which increases the educational level. It helps in so many ways,” Knight said.
RHCJC staffers reached out to the mayor of Gautier 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.