Starkville City Looks To Spread It’s Wings

STARKVILLE, MIss.(WCBI) – The conversation continues for the city of Starkville that’s looking to spread it’s wings.

“People believe they’re in Starkville when they’re really not,” said Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill.

That’s an overriding theme in a consultants report of the plan to expand the Starkville City Limits.

“Mr. Slaughter was presenting the things that would be appealing to us if we were to move forward with Phase 2 or move forward with the annexation itself,” said Spruill.

The annexation focuses on the eastern side of the city including complexes like the Highland.

“It’s a fairness position for our eyes. It’s a matter of controlling our growth and development. It’s a matter of providing services to an area, to help them be a part of the community in a way that we can’t control if they’re not. It is our path of growth. Clearly MSU is the driving force of that and had that area been in the city,” said Spruill.

Klara Bath is a business owner in the downtown area.

She says it would be great to welcome others into the city who may already feel right at home.

“I think it’s a great idea, I mean being from outside of Starkville. It’s a welcome feeling also to the new people like me for instance and it’s the college so it’s perfect to expand,” said Bath.

“There are a number of student housing areas, a lot of apartment complex, a lot of single families, but there’s a whole lot of population, specifically, the numbers that Mr. slaughter shared with us was near as many as 4,000 growth from 2010, to right now and that’s a city,” said Spruill.

Spruill says she hopes to get approved and get started very soon for the benefit of the entire area.

“With that population increase you see retail development, you see business interest, all of those are interested in having the quantity of population that allows them to have successful businesses and to show that there is growth and activity going on in an area,” said Spruill.

If the board votes in the affirmative they will then create an ordinance that will define those areas and begin the process that it’s dictated by statute.

The Mayor says she is hoping to get the city annexed before the 2020 census.