Starkville asks to keep food and hotel taxes through 2037—without a referendum

Starkville wants Mississippi lawmakers to keep its 2% food-and-beverage tax and 2% hotel-and-motel tax in place through June 30, 2037—and let the city renew them without holding a referendum.⁠[1]

The Board of Aldermen adopted the request Oct. 6 for the 2027 legislative session. That vote approved the city's request; it did not itself extend either tax.⁠[1]

This is a request for more years, not higher rates. The resolution seeks no change to the tax amounts, the entities receiving the proceeds or their percentage shares. Those unchanged terms are the city's stated reason for asking to be relieved of a referendum.⁠[1]

The renewal dates do not currently line up. According to the resolution, legislation passed in 2026 extended the food-and-beverage tax's distribution provisions through June 30, 2030, while the hotel-and-motel tax legislation has a 2027 repeal date. The city says it wants the renewals coordinated to make more efficient use of its legislative delegation's efforts.⁠[1]

The restaurant tax also has a parks role beyond tourism promotion. The resolution says a portion of its proceeds is committed to debt service on the Sportsplex and Cornerstone Sports Park for the life of those bonds, as well as care and maintenance of city parks.⁠[1]