City renews state/federal lobbying agreement

By Randy Bell    

Mayor Will Purdie believes a former congressman and his associate have done a “terrific” job in securing funds for a sewage pipeline project which will play a crucial role in Clinton’s economic future.   The Board of Aldermen voted June 16 to approve a new contract with Harper and Bailey Governmental Solutions to continue lobbying Congress and the Mississippi Legislature.

According to Purdie, the City couldn’t be more pleased with the results.

“This year alone, approximately $10 million [of funding was secured] between the state and federal levels,” he says.  The funding includes almost $8 million from Congress and $2 million from the state for the Clinton/Raymond/ Bolton/ Regional Wastewater Authority, which is building the pipeline to carry treated sewage from the three municipalities to the Big Black River for disposal.

The firm’s president is Gregg Harper, who served five terms in Washington representing Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District.  Brett Bailey is Director of Governmental Relations.  The City is paying them $10,000 per month.

So far, a total of about $50 million has been secured for the pipeline project, which has allowed construction to begin.  The final cost could be around $135 million.

“You really want to stay ahead of the project,” Harper says.  “We feel good about where we are.  It’s a long-term, multi-year process for a project that’s phenomenally important, not just for the city of Clinton but for [all of] western Hinds County.” 

Harper says another $7.8 million is “in the mix” on Capitol Hill to possibly be included in the next budget, but the mid-term elections could be a factor in how quickly that happens.

At the State Capitol, Bailey admits, it’s “tough to say at this point” what the prospects are for another round of legislative funding in 2027. 

“The budget is always being watched closely,” said Bailey.  “Right now, the revenue projections for state government are hitting where they’re supposed to be as we close out this fiscal year and chart the next fiscal year.  It really comes down to things that will play out over the course of the session.”

But Bailey believes legislative leaders understand that, without the pipeline, Clinton could run out of capacity to continue discharging treated wastewater into local streams and could face a moratorium on new sewage connections in a few years. 

“I think, for the large part, legislative and elected leaders support Clinton.  It’s just that there are a lot of municipalities and 82 counties – and everybody has needs. There’s an emergency in every county.  In their defense, there are needs coming at them all the time.  Yet, they do understand. And it’s our job to make sure they do.”