Mayor wants vote on proposed sports complex

VICKSBURG — Mayor Paul Winfield has resurrected his plan for a sports complex and wants to put it before the voters on the June 2013 ballot.

The Vicksburg Post reports in a meeting last week on the budget for fiscal year 2012-13 fiscal year budget Winfield said he would introduce the issue to the three-member Board of Mayor and Aldermen soon.

Winfield in January proposed borrowing up to $20 million to build a sports complex at an undisclosed site.

During a budget meeting earlier this week at City Hall, Winfield said the complex would not put pressure on budgeting for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Earlier this year, Winfield proposed funding a loan with a sales tax under a variety of options.

A request to Vicksburg legislators asking for them to shepherd a bill to allow the city to call a referendum to levy the tax was not acted on, and the project died.

The new plan also would involve a bond issue funded by a tax, Winfield said.

“I’m going to put together a committee of well-respected people that will represent a cross-section of the community to work on the complex and take the politics out of it,” he said. “That’s what killed it last time. Poor politics. This time, it won’t all fall on my shoulders. The committee will look at locations, the plans and help market it to get support.”