By John Howell Sr.

Batesville Mayor Jerry Autrey, speaking to the Rotary Club on Tuesday, gave an overview of city government activity during his two terms as mayor, naming industrial and retail growth along with grant-funded infrastructure and park projects.

Autrey faces four opponents in a bid for re-election to his third term as mayor. Challenger Brad Baker in an advertisement Friday, April 5 questioned Autrey’s leadership, citing a drop in the value of construction permits in the city during Autrey’s administration.

Autrey on Tuesday said that although his tenure as mayor includes the “longest recession we’ve seen in modern times,” sales tax collections have shown “an increase almost every month.” He named industries GE Aviation and Anderson Technologies and retail businesses Tractor Supply and Zaxby’s as businesses that had chosen to locate in the city. Autrey also said that the new Comfort Suites Hotel on the east side of I-55 should be complete within three months.

“Maybe we can encourage retail on that side of the highway,” Autrey said, naming a popular chain restaurant as considering a location in the northeast quadrant of the I-55/Hwy. 6/278 intersection. He also said that the sale of seven acres of city-owned land next to Tri-Lakes Medical Center will provide space for construction of medical office buildings.

Autrey pointed to grant-funded infrastructure improvements, including:

•Construction of the Trussell Park walking trail, lights for the trail and a children’s playground and other park improvements;

•Tubbs Road drainage project. “We redid the ditches and built new driveways,” Autrey said, using 80 percent Community Development Block Grant funds for the project to prevent flooding during heavy rainfall.

Autrey said that 21 miles of city streets have been resurfaced during his administration. Other infrastructure improvements include the city’s water and sewer system, he said. City government has cooperated with the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) in its construction project to improve the cloverleaf intersection at I-55, he said.

Challenges ahead for the city include a soon-to-be-required upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant, estimated at $5 to $7 million.

“I think we can meet the challenge and not put a burden on the city,” he said.

Autrey said that he has been asked why the city maintains a surplus in its budget.  He said he consider it a “rainy-day fund” and also a reserve for matching grant money when needed.

“If you don’t have that match, you don’t get the grant,” he said.

City workers and fire fighters are presently locating and identifying water valves by GPS coordinates, Autrey said, responding to a question about lowering the city’s fire insurance rating.

“We have a master plan to lower our fire rating,” he said, that also includes hiring additional full-time firemen. One new fire truck is on order, and the city and county are currently negotiating to buy a second new truck for the Batesville Fire Department that will allow it to answer calls outside the city while maintaining its present rating, he said.

MDOT has begun preliminary work to build additional lanes on Highway 6/278 from Bates Street to Tubbs Road to help with traffic congestion, Autrey said. The project will include replacement of the Highway 6 railway overpass, he said.