Ridgeland tax hike too close to call

RIDGELAND — A tax increase on Tuesday’s ballot to fund a $50 million expansion at Freedom Ridge Park was too close to call on Wednesday.

The proposed tax increase on hotels and restaurants in Ridgeland would fund the improvements.

Ridgeland Mayor Gene F. McGee said he had heard a lot of support for the measure but noted that if the measure did not pass, “that is the will of the people.”

Overall, in the general election on Tuesday, voter turnout in Madison County was 57.46 percent, with 44,532 ballots cast in the county’s 44 precincts.

The measure needs 60 percent for approval.

Ridgeland voters were asked to consider a temporary 2-percent tax increase on hotels and a 1-percent tax increase on restaurants within city limits. 

The proposed tax increase would fund an estimated $50 million expansion to Freedom Ridge Park. 

Voters were asked to vote either “For the tax” or “Against the tax.”

Unofficial totals available Wednesday showed “For the tax ahead 4,144 votes to 3,336 votes against the tax. McGee’s office said the tally was “too close to call” Wednesday morning, though they hoped to have a workable count available by Wednesday afternoon.

Former President Donald Trump and his Vice Presidential Nominee J.D. Vance took 56.58 percent of the vote for the Republican Party for the Presidential race here compared to 41.61 percent for Vice President Kamal Harris and her VP pick Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Trump received 25,031 votes based on unofficial results to Harris’s 18,409. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his VP nominee Nicole Shanahan came in third with 229 votes and the write-in total was next at 202 votes cast.

The state Supreme Court race will head to a runoff between Incumbent Jim Kitchens and State Sen. Jennifer Branning. 

Branning took 46.77 percent of the Madison County vote with 19,669 votes. Kitchens was not far behind with 15,035 votes which is 35 percent of the vote total. None of the other candidates got more than 6.5 percent of the vote here.

In the United States Senate Race, incumbent Republican Roger Wicker handily beat Democratic challenger Ty Pinkins by more than 9,000 votes. Wicker got 26,547 votes to Pinkins’ 17,262 votes.

Incumbent Democrat Bennie G. Thompson beat Republican challenger Ron Eller for the U.S. House of Representatives Second Congressional District seat with 76.57 percent of the vote.

Thompson recorded 6,850 votes in Madison County to Eller’s 2,093 vote total here.

Incumbent Republican Michael Guest, who ran unopposed for the 3rd Congressional District seat, took 94.88 percent with 29,915 votes. About 1,600 ballots were cast with write-in candidates in that race.

Other unopposed races included candidates Latrice Westbrook for Court of Appeals District 2, Jack Wilson for Court of Appeals District 3 and Samuel C. “Sam” Kelly for School Board District 3.

Republican Helen L. Carney beat Democrat Pamela Stribling with over 73 percent of the vote in the Election Commission District 1 race.

Republican Joanne Pearson beat Democrat Walter Young Jr. with over 57 percent of the vote in the Election Commission District 3 race.

Democrat Leroy Lacey beat Republican Debbie Bryant-Bergansky with over 66 percent of the vote in the Election Commission District 5 race.

Jonathan J. Tillman Sr. beat Marvin Milner in the School Board District 4 race with 2,119 votes to Milner’s 1,997 votes.

The run-off election is scheduled for Nov. 26.