Biloxi City Council Meeting Summary - December 16, 2025

The Biloxi City Council convened on December 16, 2025, for a meeting marked by holiday greetings, the celebration of a long-serving police chief, and significant debates regarding municipal finance and transparency. A primary point of contention arose from the Mayor's effort to remove a resolution (4D) calling for a voter referendum on a three-hour room tax from the agenda; the Mayor argued that citizens must vote on the measure to share the tax burden, while opponents in the public comments argued the city faces a management而非 revenue problem and urged for transparency first. The meeting also featured extensive discussions on a multi-year vehicle lease purchase plan, the appointment of new beautification commissioners, and complaints regarding the responsiveness of city lobbyists.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the routine resolution to move Item 4D to the policy agenda and the adjudication for the parcel at 610 Howard Avenue.
• Approved the appointment of Colonel Connie Rocco to the Biloxi Beautification Commission (term: Dec 2, 2025 – Dec 1, 2028).
• Approved the appointment of James McClendon to the Biloxi Beautification Commission (term: Dec 16, 2025 – Dec 15, 2028).
• Approved the Consent Agenda totaling $1.9 million over five years for vehicle lease-purchases to replace aging public works and fleet vehicles (2005-2008 models), including service beds and dump bodies.
• Approved the allocation of $1.2 million (derived from Bay Vista ARPA funds) to the paving fund for citywide street repairs, pothole fixes, and drainage projects, noting these funds are specific infrastructure funds and cannot return to the general fund.
• Approved the closure of Code Enforcement cases for multiple properties found in violation or resolved, specifically closing cases where owners failed to appear (PSGC Properties, Michael Pietascalzo, Maybell Hutcherson, CJ Shaw Consulting).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Councilman Michael Gray: Expressed support for the "Christmas on Avenue" event and thanked the volunteers; noted recent theft of Christmas trees and urged the community to help. Expressed gratitude to Chief Miller for 35 years of service.
• Councilman Tisdale: Expressed support for the Wool Market parade and the "Christmas on Avenue" event; noted the weather was outstanding. Offered to assist in organizing free tree distributions for needy families.
• Councilman Shoemaker: Expressed strong concern (positioned as a critique) regarding the lack of Christmas lights on city poles in commercial and high-traffic areas, specifically contrasting Biloxi with other cities. He stated the city is "failing" to provide city-wide lighting and noted that previous budget requests for lights from the Mayor's office have not been funded.
• Andy Linville: Expressed full support for removing the three-hour room tax increase and stated the city has a "accountability problem," not a revenue problem. He positioned the current legal arrangement (hiring an outside attorney for the Council) as raising serious legal questions and called for an independent, out-of-area attorney and a legal oversight committee before voting on taxes.
• Unnamed Caller: Expressed strong opposition to the current City Attorney's conduct, alleging "corruption" and "weird games." The speaker cited specific instances of property intimidation and stated they are expected to be called into testimony regarding an ongoing investigation involving the City Attorney.
• Jason Steerman: Expressed gratitude to city leadership for progress on Camellia Street paving. Announced a "Mississippi Sanitary Drive" at the sanctuary and a "Tunnel to Towers" fundraiser on January 17, stating that events will be free for attendees and that the fundraiser supports first responders and Gold Star families.

Discussion Items

• Removal of Resolution 4D (Room Tax Referendum): The Mayor moved to remove the resolution requesting the Mississippi Legislature to adopt legislation for a three-hour room tax levy (19 rentals). The Mayor argued that removing the option from the table limits the city's choices and that citizens deserve a vote on how to share the cost of tourism and special events. The Mayor noted that other Mississippi municipalities (Jackson, Natchez, Vicksburg, etc.) utilize this tax and that the city faces significant cost increases for critical services.
• 35-Year Service Award: The Mayor and Council unanimously recognized Chief Miller for 35 years of service. Several council members expressed high regard for his leadership, noting his reputation and dedication to the citizens.
• Vehicle Lease Purchase Plan: Councilman Gray and others questioned the financial structure of the $1.9 million vehicle plan. The Public Works Director clarified that vehicles are being replaced via a five-year lease-purchase to spread costs, noting that police vehicles rotate every five years while other fleet vehicles last approximately 10 years. Councilman Marshall clarified that $621,000 from the ARPA funds (moved from Bay Vista projects) is being directed to the paving fund for infrastructure, which had previously lacked sufficient funding for pothole repairs.
• Beautification Commission Appointments: The Council discussed the appointment of two new commissioners. They noted the commission currently has no authority and no dedicated funding, relying on civic and public involvement and private donations. Councilman Marshall highlighted the need for community participation in beautification efforts.
• Code Enforcement & Budget Transparency: Councilman Creel raised questions regarding the use of budget funds for street repairs, clarifying that the $621,000 is encumbered specifically for the paving fund and cannot be shifted to the general fund. The Council discussed the lack of funds for specific road repairs in Ward 2, with the Director promising to provide a list of identified repair projects.
• Lobbyist Performance: Councilman Creel and Councilman Schumacher expressed dissatisfaction with the reporting and responsiveness of city lobbyist Keith Heard. They called for him to be available for direct questions and stated that if he cannot provide simple monthly reports and answer questions, the Council should "rethink" the contract.

Key Outcomes

• Motion Carried: The meeting adjourned with a motion carried by the entire Council to adjourn in memory of "Pete Mesco" (referred to as "Pistol Pete"), a local baseball coach and sports hall of fame inductee.
• Motion Carried: The resolution to remove Item 4D (Room Tax Referendum) from the routine agenda was adopted, though the Mayor's request to remove it from the policy agenda (to allow a public vote) was noted as a point of ongoing discussion rather than a final vote on the tax itself.
• Motion Carried: The Consolidated Consent Agenda, including the adoption of the five-year vehicle lease-purchase plan and the Beautification Commission appointments, was approved.
• Motion Carried: A motion was passed to go into Executive Session to examine pending litigation, followed by a reconvening of the open meeting with no action taken.
• Directive Issued: The Public Works Director committed to providing the Council with a list of identified paving and repair projects, including those in Ward 2, to be addressed by the newly allocated funds.
• Directive Issued: The Council expressed a collective expectation for the city lobbyist (Keith Heard) to provide monthly reports and be available for direct consultation, with a warning that the contract may be revisited if performance does not improve.