Marion County's representative in the Mississippi Senate says some economists project the state will be $400 million short in tax collections because of the shutdown associated with the coronavirus crisis but that the full picture won't be known until the April numbers arrive.
But State Sen. Angela Hill, R-Picayune, said she believes recovery may not take too long.
People are itching to get back to work, she said, and sales tax from groceries have actually increased, a surge that has really helped the state, according to Hill.
The legislator spoke to the C-P following an April 21 tour of Marion County to see damage received from the EF-4 tornado and flash flooding on April 19.
“I was in Marion County all day. I went to Pine Burr, then over to Hurricane Creek by the church and saw all the damaged areas just so I could get a feel myself and to be able to talk to MEMA about the damage,” she said.
Hill also visited downtown stores that might have been affected by the flash flood. The Legislature earmarked $500,000 last year to help with downtown drainage. Phase I, which includes replacing 48-inch lines with 60-inch lines from Broad Street down Main Street, was approved at the most recent Board of Aldermen meeting.
One of the things Hill was looking at while touring downtown regarded whether insurance will pay for the damage.
Typically, she said, insurance pay for water damage when the water falls from the sky but not from water coming up from the ground. In this case, the water was coming up from flooded streets and alleys.
Hill said it was important that all the damage is recorded so MEMA can properly evaluate. There is a threshold that must be hit before MEMA will assist, so she wanted to make sure everyone knows to file reports with MEMA for damage.
The flooding could be included in the tornado damage because it all happened in one event, she said.
With the legislature reconvening May 18, Hill said she does not believe Columbia will be able get more assistance this session for the downtown drainage.
“With businesses and casinos being closed, it is highly doubtful that we are going to bond any more money this year,” Hill said.
But once the state gets through the coronavirus outbreak, there is a good possibility that eventually the city can receive more help, she said.
One issue looming ahead is a possibility for a meat shortage, but Hill said with Mississippi being a rural state and having a lot of farmers, she does not think it would be as bad as it could be in the larger cities, if it happens as all.
