By Scott Harvey
Sulphur Springs – In a 3-2 vote Monday, the Hopkins County Commissioners Court approved a financial plan for the proposed renovation to downtown Sulphur Springs.
Funding will come from the city's tax increment financing tool, where the cost of structural improvements are repaid by the contribution of future tax revenues of the businesses in that area.
On April 6, the Sulphur Springs City Council is scheduled to discuss and possibly approve the new downtown design, which includes back-in parking on and two-way traffic around the square.
According to City Manager Marc Maxwell, the city already sold $3.8 million in bonds for the project, with plans to sell an additional $1.2 million in the near future.
On Monday, Commissioners Beth Wisenbaker and Don Patterson voted against the measure, while Commissioners Burke Bullock, Danny Evans and Judge Cletis Millsap were in favor.