Bay St. Louis council reviews preliminary budget and possible new revenue sources

Bay St. Louis officials are considering possible changes to city revenue and spending after a July 23, 2026, City Council workshop reviewed preliminary fiscal-year revenues and expenditures.

The discussion could eventually affect taxes, fees, city services, reserves and infrastructure spending for residents, property owners, visitors and local businesses. But the available workshop summary does not show that the council adopted a new tax, enacted a new fee or approved a final budget.

Revenue sources under discussion

Officials reviewed existing revenue categories, including ad valorem taxes, gaming revenue, licenses and permits, utility taxes and fees. They also discussed possible additional revenue from short-term-rental fees and golf-cart fees.

Another proposal was a possible 2% sales tax on room and board. The source material describes that measure as a discussion item, not as an enacted tax. It also does not identify how any proposed fee would be structured, collected or applied.

That distinction matters for taxpayers, homeowners, renters, visitors and businesses: the workshop placed several options under consideration, but it did not establish that any of them will appear in the city’s final revenue plan.

Spending, reserves and Main Street plans

The workshop also covered the city’s reserves, capital projects and infrastructure improvements. Officials discussed a proposed Main Street program and how that program could be funded.

The available material does not provide final budget amounts, dollar amounts for individual capital projects or the fiscal year connected to the preliminary figures. As a result, the workshop summary does not show how much money would be available for infrastructure, reserves or the proposed Main Street effort.

It also does not establish that the July 23 meeting was a final council vote. The underlying official minutes or video were not exposed in the supplied meeting-monitoring report, which summarizes the workshop.

What comes next

The next important step is publication and adoption of the final municipal budget, along with any related revenue ordinances. The available sources do not provide a date or deadline for those actions.

Bay St. Louis’ official City Council page says the council holds regular meetings twice each month, makes agendas available before scheduled meetings and livestreams meetings. The city’s official Upcoming Meetings page provides a meetings and agenda portal where future council materials can be checked.

City sources identify the council and city offices at 688 Highway 90, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520. Future agendas, meeting records or budget documents may show which revenue and spending ideas move forward. Until then, the July 23 workshop remains a preliminary review rather than a final budget or revenue decision.