Communities across Mississippi are awaiting more than 300 million dollars to fund dozens of projects, now that Governor Phil Bryant signed House Bill 1729 - a bond bill passed by the legislature this year.
As MPB's Mark Rigsby reports, some of the projects will be put under the microscope.
Among the projects, $16.6 million will go to the state's new history and civil rights museums in Jackson. Lucy Allen is the museum director for the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.
She says the funding will help the project finish on schedule; December 2017.
"This provides the funding to furnish and equip the building, as well as finish the exhibits," says Allen.
The projects must go through an approval process before the state bond commission. State Treasurer Lynn Fitch's office has been critical of the bond bill, calling it abusive and irresponsible. Michelle Williams is Chief of Staff for the Office of the State Treasurer.
"There are some projects in the bill that literally have no information whatsoever," says Williams. "There are standards when you are passing a bond bill, or issuing a bond on behalf of the taxpayers of the state. One of the ones we've been talking about is the Jackson Police Department. Totally support our police officers. The problem is, you can't bond for things like salaries. So, we're going to need more information to know whether or not that project is an actual infrastructure project, or if it's just for salaries for police officers for a year."
The bond commission will meet in late summer.
