The Newton Board of Aldermen are looking for additional ways to enhance their revenue by looking at the possibility of a restaurant tax.
While the tax was on the agenda, Mayor Murray Weems asked the aldermen to consider it and to bring it back up for discussion at a later meeting.
No details have been mentioned about the amount of a tax or how it would be implemented. The discussion is likely going to come back up in December at either the first meeting on December 3 or the second meeting on December 17.
IN other business, the board of aldermen went into executive session and passed a resolution to advertise for bids for engineering services for a potential economic development projects.
Weems did not mention what the action was tied to, but it is for a potential business or industry that is considering locating in Newton.
In other business, the aldermen:
• approved travel for City Attorney Brian Mayo to attend the Mississippi Municipal Attorney’s Association meeting in Biloxi January 16.
• will rent a building for $800 per month for housing city hall offices to make way for the city hall renovation.
• approve payments to R&J Construction for $38,102 on the Biewer access road, Engineering Plus for $4,109 on the access road project, $2,875.11 in administration fees to East Central Planning and Development on the sewer project, $10,644.51 to Engineering Plus on the access road project, $3,818 to Neel-Shaffer for engineering services on the sewer project and $98,696.37 to R&J Construction for project construction on the access road project.
• approved the BBI annual software maintenance agreement for $2,100 from the water department and $2,500 for the general fund and the hardware agreement for $1,950 from the water fund and $8,559.13 from the general fund.
• hired Josh Foreman as a full-time water department employee at the rate of $9.50 per hour.
• terminated Lekendricks Griffin from the public works department.
• approved a quote from Mitchell Construction not to exceed $12,750 for repairs at Newton Mini Storage due to an eroding storm drain.
• accepted the resignation of Damian Blackmon from the police department.
• gave the police department money to do drug enforcement.
• held an executive session to discuss pending litigation.
