Marion officials reflect on progress, plan for more
Jan. 3—Marion officials on Tuesday took a moment to reflect on the progress the town made in 2023 and ready themselves to tackle more challenges in 2024.
Mayor Larry Gill said the past year was exceptionally busy, with his administration and the Board of Aldermen tackling several projects on a scale not seen in the town's history. The town, he said, was able to give pay raises to employees and purchase two new police cars without raising taxes. Additionally, Marion completed its first paving package with Falcon Contracting paving Clinton and Conehatta streets as well as Koosa and Panola Drives.
"We laid more asphalt this year probably than has ever been laid in one year," he said.
Arguably the biggest project, Gill said, was the replacement of a bridge along Dale Drive. Although the project itself was done by the county, Marion was heavily invested as the necessary road closure impacted local businesses, changed how residents commuted to work and more.
Not only was the bridge completed on time, Gill said, it was actually completed more than a month early.
"We got a major bridge replaced in 60 days, 60 working days on a 90 day calendar," he said. "That was huge."
Looking forward, 2024 is expected to bring even more change to Marion as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has finally given the town approval to move forward with construction on a new freshwater treatment facility. The project has been delayed for more than a year as the Corps worked to complete an environmental assessment.
Funded through a $3.4 million grant through the Corps' Mississippi Environmental Infrastructure Program, the new freshwater plant is expected to add critical redundancy to the town's water system as well as add capacity that will be needed as the town continues to grow.
Marion also has about $900,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to use to inspect, map and improve its sewer system. The town received about $300,000 in ARPA funding from the federal government, which the state matched 2-to-1 with its own ARPA funding.
In a work session immediately prior to Tuesday's Board of Aldermen meeting, Gill said part of the funding will be used to send video cameras through the town's sewer pipes to see which areas need repair. When it comes to sewer work, $900,000 will go quickly, he said, but the town will make sure to spend the funds wisely.
Heading into 2024, Gill said he believes Marion is heading toward success, and one of the key drivers behind that is the community that is invested in seeing the town grow.
"I think we've arrived on the verge of something good, something very, very good, and people have bought in, they're sold on it, and we've just got to continue doing what we've got to do live up to it," he said.
Contact Thomas Howard at thoward@themeridianstar.com
