DIAMONDHEAD, Miss. (AP) - The Diamondhead Taxpayers Association has gathered 160 signed objections to the city’s notice to issue a $1.28 million public bond to buy the former church building it has been using as City Hall.
The Sun Herald reports (https://bit.ly/1iayTJa ) a hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday in Hancock County Chancery Court.
The city has been renting space at the former Diamondhead Baptist Church building since early 2013.
The association blocked the purchase last year, when Chancery Judge Jennifer Schloegel ruled the City Council violated a state “lame duck” statute by completing the $1.6 million lease-purchase agreement just before the interim council members’ terms were up.
Schloegel said the council also violated a budgetary statute by not creating a budget before moving forward with the project.
“They were issuing bonds to finance a project that didn’t exist,” said Pete Kolf with the association.
The new objections argue the city did not properly seek bid proposals.
“We’re gonna do what we can to stop this thing,” Kolf said of the purchase.
City Council attorney Sean Tindell said he could not comment before the hearing.
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Information from: The Sun Herald, https://www.sunherald.com
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