Diamondhead becomes a city

DIAMONDHEAD — Diamondhead officially becomes a city today when state officials present a charter to the prospective government.

The Sun Herald reports the move comes after five years of legal wrangling over incorporation — a hotly contested case that opponents took all the way to the Mississippi Supreme Court, which upheld the incorporation in a decision last month. The mayor and City Council will meet at 2 p.m. to take the first official steps as a city.

One of the benefits to becoming a city, besides having control over tax dollars generated there, is the fact Diamondhead would be able to receive federal money. After Hurricane Katrina, because the area was unincorporated, it had to handle much of its own debris removal and other cleanup costs.