Homes going up in Manila

Manila has continued to grow in spite of the pandemic. According to Manila Mayor Wayne Wagner, the city has 30 new houses completed or under construction so far this year.

“We are happy to see the growth in our community,” Mayor Wagner said. “With that said, I want to stress the importance to all of our citizens to be counted in the upcoming Census. All of our turnback money from the state is based on population. If we get everyone counted, we would not need new taxes.”

Mayor Wagner encourages everyone to talk to their friends and neighbors about being counted. If anyone needs assistance they can call city hall at 561-4437.

“We will assist anyone who calls,” Mayor Wagner said. “It is a simple form to complete. It can be done on paper, on a cell phone or a computer.”

He also reminded people that if college age children had lived at home any this year they can be counted.

The turnback money to the city is used for infrastructure which includes water, sewer and streets. The local schools and fire departments also benefit from turnback money which is calculated by population.

“The funding averages about $2,000 per person per year,” Mayor Wagner said. “We only get a Census count every 10 years and that can add up to a large loss for an undercount of our population.”

At the present time Manila is at about 52 percent counted.

"We need to get the other 48 percent counted," Mayor Wagner said "The deadline to be counted is Sept. 30 so we really need to get the word out there."

Wagner also pointed out it is important for anyone making purchases  out of town but having items delivered to Manila to make sure they use the Manila zip code which will also benefit the city’s sales tax profits. It also should be noted when making online purchases.

“We have been fortunate so far,” Mayor Wagner said. “With the pandemic our sales tax went down in April and May but has started coming back up in June and July. Hopefully by the end of the year the increase will balance out with the early decrease we had.”

Mayor Wagner estimates the city’s population should be up to at least 4,000 and moving toward 5,000.

“The number of 5,000 makes a difference on getting retail businesses,” Mayor Wagner said. “We all agree we can use more eating establishments and shopping places. I feel like the citizens of Manila and the staff have done a good job of showcasing our town to attract new people. We have a good school, a good city park, a water park/pool, a new senior citizen center, and a very nice airport. We have realized during this pandemic how beneficial our medical facilities and drug stores are. It has been difficult on  our young people this year with our park and our pool closed but we are hoping we will be able to open after Memorial Day next year. The decisions we have made were for the safety of our young people, older citizens and all in between.”

Wagner said a lot of Manila’s growth has come from people working up and down the Mississippi River and in Jonesboro. Manila is in between the towns.

“We appreciate the job opportunities in our own town and the neighboring towns,” Mayor Wagner said. “We are growing but we are still considered a small town.”

Manila recently completed an expansion of the water park/pool and is in the process of finishing a new concession stand/meeting area for the pool and the park. Work is underway to expand the fire station and five new firefighters have been approved. New computer read water meters are being put into place and should be ready to activate by Oct. 1.

Mayor Wagner wants to remind the citizens of Manila to check on leaks/drips because the new meters will be very accurate. Manila has been charging a flat rate per average use for the last year.

“Once the new meters are in, it will be the responsibility of the homeowners if the meters are damaged,” he said. “If the meters malfunction it will be the city’s responsibility.”

Again, Mayor Wagner stressed the importance of being counted. More money will help take care of some of the problems that arise. Many of the sewer lines have been replaced but some are still over 50 years old.

“I know we have a problem with drainage and we are continually working on the problem,” Mayor Wagner said. “Working together we can make things better for our community.”