OCEAN SPRINGS, MS – Mayor Kenny Holloway delivered the annual Ocean Springs State of the City address Tuesday night at the Mary C, just one week ahead of the April 1 primary election that will determine whether he remains in office for another term.
The State of the City is a longstanding tradition, not unlike the President’s State of the Union. It is used as a chance for leadership to reflect on accomplishments, present current priorities, and outline a vision for the future.
In previous years of Holloway’s tenure, the event has taken place in April or May. This year’s early date placed it just days before voters head to the polls.
Breakdown of the 2025 Speech
Holloway’s 20-minute address touched on a variety of topics. Here’s a rough breakdown of how the content was distributed by topic:
- Infrastructure & Completed Projects: 30.0%
- Thank-Yous and Named Recognitions: 18.1%
- Growth, Vision & Political Messaging: 14.9%
- Upcoming Projects & Future Plans: 11.7%
- Education & Youth Programs: 11.4%
- Financials, Grants & Budget Talk: 8.6%
- Community Partners & Shoutouts: 2.9%
- Closing Remarks & Blessings: 2.4%
Key Moments in the Address
One of the more notable moments came during the mayor’s comments on transparency. Holloway called it a “buzzword in our town” and offered the audience an alternate definition of the word, saying:
“Transparency isn’t sharing every detail, but provides the context for the decisions we make.”
Another moment that stood out came during a mention of the Hanshaw Road Bridge, which was shut down by the state with 24 hours’ notice in early March. Holloway remarked:
“So the current project we are currently working on, if you haven’t heard, the Hanshaw bridge…”
The comment was brief and light in tone, even getting a quiet laugh from some in attendance.
Full Transcript of Mayor Kenny Holloway’s 2025 State of the City Address
It is an honor to stand before you today to deliver the State of the City.
We have made great strides in improving our community, strengthening our infrastructure, fostering the verity of our development. I would like to take a moment to recognize the men and women that I serve with, the Board of Aldermen. Our Aldermen at large, Bob Cox, Jennifer Burgess Ward 1, Ricky Authement Ward 2, Kevin Wade Ward 3, Ken Papania Ward 4, Rob Blackman Ward 5, and Mike Impey Ward 6. Thank you for what you do for the city.
Thank you to those who made this night possible. L Tree Marketing with the video you just saw, the Ocean Springs High School ROTC, the Mayor’s Youth Council, and of course, our great staff at the Mary C.
I also want to say thank you to those who serve on our many boards and commissions. Thank you to the volunteers on the Planning Commission, the Historical Preservation Commission, the Zoning and Adjustment Board, and the Civil Service Commission.
I often express how fortunate I am to be surrounded by great employees. My goal is never to be the smartest person in the room, but to engage with those who best know what they serve in their areas. Our departments work well together, and that shows through the acceptable leadership of department directors. Our employees are always willing to assist each other with their department needs.
It helps us to operate efficiently as a city. I want to thank our city clerk, Patty Gaston, who’s the mother of this operation. Human Resources Director, Mindy McDowell, Interim Police Chief, Steve Dye, Interim Fire Chief, Chris Huffey, Municipal Judge Monty Tines, Public Works Director Alan Ladner, Parks and Recreation Director Stephen Glorioso, Building Official Daryl Stringfellow, Interim Community Development Director Wayne Morgan, Project Manager Sarah Harris, Grants Administrator Carolyn Martin, and Arts and Cultural Director Sarah Q.
Our relationship with the Jackson County Board of Supervisors and Administrators continues to be collaborative. We appreciate their assistance in many projects throughout our city.
This has been an active legislative session. We are pleased to have strong legislative delegations, specifically in Jackson County, and I wanted to just name these gentlemen because we really are, in Jackson County, we’re really in a position of great leadership, and that’s going to be there for the next three years, so we’ve got to take advantage of that. Hank Zuber, he’s the chairman of State Affairs, Brice Wiggins, chairman of Jud A, Senator Jeremy England, he served on Jud B, John Read, appropriations chair, is a huge job, Representative Jeff Guise, chairman of the Board of Trustees. Speaker Pro Tem is Manly Barton, he’s from Jackson County. So these leaders always advocate for our city and we appreciate them. Thank you for working so closely with us this session.
The Ocean Springs School District. I want to recognize the Ocean Springs School District, Mike Lenz. He has made a great impact on our schools. And I want to congratulate them on the bond issue that was passed by 87%. I don’t think you can get 87% of the people anywhere that agree on anything.
The number one school district in the state, two years in a row.
Our community continues to invest in our students, teachers, and district staff. Our school district is absolutely one of the best in the state and the region, continuing to strive for excellence in academics, arts, and athletics, is why so many people relocate to our area.
We are a strong community, a strong city, because of our high-rated school districts. I can see exemplary leadership through our Mayor’s Youth Council. I continue to be impressed with their goals and leadership. These are intelligent young men and women whom we want to thrive in the world and then come back to live in Ocean Springs. It is important that our children have great leaders to guide them during their education. Whether it’s our superintendent, our board of trustees, teachers, coaches, or mentors.
I want to give applause to the Ocean Springs High School Blue Gray Band and Dance Team for representing Ocean Springs in London in the New Year’s Day parade. I also want to congratulate the Ocean Springs High School Theater and Film performers on the first place outstanding production award and many others at the National Southeastern Theater Conference. These ladies and gentlemen are here, will you please stand for us?
I was never in the theater, but I understand that that was one heck of an award and you have made Ocean Springs very proud.
Our city has fantastic community partners to help elevate the quality of life in Ocean Springs. Thank you to the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, the Historic Ocean Springs Association, the Museum of Art, the Ocean Springs Hospital, Gulf Coast Research Lab, Gulf Islands National Seashore, the United Way of Jackson, George, and Green Counties, YMCA, Department of Marine Resources, and so many more.
Thank you for what you do for the city of Ocean Springs. Infrastructure is the backbone of any thriving city. Roads, bridges, water systems, public programs connect us, support our economy, and enhance our daily lives. Our community has had its fair share of infrastructure investments, but the city continues to invest and benefit. Our work is far from over. Together we are building a city that is not only stronger and more resilient, but also increasing the charm to benefit all 19,000 plus citizens of Ocean Springs.
This is my fourth State of the City Address. Every year I highlight a theme that encompasses the work that is not only the focus of our city, but those in our community. The theme this year is tourism, growth, and infrastructure. It is our job as a length of leaders to communicate the vision of this city to the residents, community partners, and state and federal representatives.
We advocate for smart growth that supports our infrastructure, quality of life, and our schools. We want our best for Ocean Springs in a variety of different areas including historic preservation, infrastructure, sustaining our tree camp, enhancing quality of life amenities and our parks, supporting tourism to assist our small businesses, and create more economic development to support jobs.
What’s important to some residents might not be a priority to others, but it’s our job to see a bigger picture, a bigger vision for what is best for our residents, businesses, and community partners. That is leadership. Maintain perspective and make confident decisions. Smart growth is understanding that growth and development will occur in our city, so we should seek that growth in an intentional and comprehensive way. Intentional and comprehensive. Those two words. The intentional and transformational projects, projects that will enhance everyone’s quality of life.
Generational projects that will be beyond us while we maintain our connection with nature and the outdoor activities. Ocean Springs is certainly destined for major growth. The secret is out, this is the place to be. The city is in a growth spurt and at times it can be painful and frustrating.
We feel the frustration of our residents, residents who advocate for more transparency. Transparency, a common buzzword in our town. Everyone has their own definition of what transparency means to them. I read a quote that said, transparency isn’t sharing every detail, but provides the context for the decisions we make. Sharing the context doesn’t mean that we have to agree on the result of the decision. In fact, I know when we make decisions, there’s a high probability of being disliked, though it’s always our intention to do our best for the most. Our city is always striving to make better because there is always room for improvement. I encourage all residents to remain engaged and active in our community by speaking to your alderman. And contrary to popular belief, they can speak to me.
We are all investing in the future of this city. This administration continues to have an active dialogue with our residents, creating amenities for our visitors and working well with those who want to invest in our city. We have and will always preserve the charm and culture of Ocean Springs as we prepare the city for success and progress.
Your city is in the best financial shape in its history. Our budget is around $28 million annually. We are projected to end the year with a cash balance of $4.5 million. We have a $2.5 million debt on reserve. Our sales tax continues to grow at a moderate rate, as does our food and beverage tax. The decisions we make today will affect the city for years to come.
Infrastructure repairs remain a top priority. As our community grows with businesses and housing, it’s important that the city’s infrastructure is supported. It means updated sidewalks, drainage, sewer, water. Typically, these projects can be an inconvenience to our residents and business owners. But they are necessary.
Our city offers an extremely high quality of life, a full spectrum of city services, a wonderful school system, an elite hospital system, those infrastructure improvements aim to support these amenities. Last year, the City of Ocean Springs completed its annexation of approximately 5.9 square miles. The City is ready, willing, and able and committed to service this new area.
We will extend water, fire hydrants and sanitary sewer in the annexation areas that are not currently served with such utilities within the next five years. The City has Phase 1 of the annexation area under design and is estimating construction this year. Phase 1 includes the water system for the south side of Ocean Springs Road from Riley Road to Highway 57. Jackson County Utility Authority holds the sewer certificate and therefore provides the sewer system service for that area.
Some of the completed projects that we’ve done this past year is one is Gay Lemon Park. The improvements to the complete makeover of that was long overdue. The improvements replaced the former concession building with an open air pavilion, renovated bathrooms, replaced dugouts, added batting cages, additional lighting, fences, and parking lot improvements. The city officially reopened the $1 million we have in December of ‘24.
Government Street sidewalk. Government Street sidewalk project was completed in August of ‘24. This project completed the missing sections of sidewalk along Government Street between Washington Avenue and Hanshaw Road, which included the installation of concrete sidewalk, timber boardwalk, metal boardwalk. The total project was approximately $800,000.
Ocean Springs Road. The Ocean Street Road project included a 10-foot (unintelligible) pathway, turning base for adjacent neighborhoods, and a roundabout. Those improvements should enhance the flow of traffic between (unintelligible) Boulevard and Deana Road. The total project was approximately $5 million.
Downtown sewer rehab. Phase 1 of this project is to put a sewer system from Highway 90 to Front Beach and to Porter Avenue to Magnolia Avenue. Approximately 60,000 linear feet of sewer for mains were cleaned and veneered. Approximately 30,000 linear foot of sewer mains and 850 vertical linear foot manhole were rehashed. The total of this project was $2 million.
So the current project we are currently working on, if you haven’t heard, the Hanshaw Bridge, the city is working to temporarily relocate all of the utilities along that bridge.
Once that is complete, the county will come in and repair the bridge to get it to a standard where we can use it for traffic. Once that is done, we will move forward with the state’s approval of reopening the bridge, and then we’ll be working towards full replacement of that bridge.
Washington Avenue, and from LaFontaine to Beach Drive, as we all well know, we experience a high tide the roadway floods. So phase one of this project will replace the water and sewer mains, and phase two will improve the drainage system and raise the roadway. This roadway is going to cost us $1.2 million, but it was funded through GOMESA and from Tidelands.
Phase one and phase two of the beach sidewalk repairs are underway, are now complete. We’ve improved multi-sections of the sidewalk. And now phase two will continue short from that factor that we’re starting right now and working on. That will be improvements to the south sidewalk adjacent to the Chester MacPherson Pier.
The project also includes placing concrete between the sidewalk and the drainage channel along the east side of the bridge to minimize sand into the drainage channel. This phase is supported by GOMesa, funded through Jackson County for an amount of $700,000. As Ms. Burgess mentioned, the Fort Bayou Drainage Project includes Fort Bayou, Monticello Woods, and Culeoco. This is using ARPA funds matched by the State and County. The project consists of cleaning, video, and storm drainage systems where we have in-bale structures of pipe and cleaning and clearing drainage easements. This is estimated at $3.6 million.
Downtown drainage consists of cleaning, video, and drainage systems, and also using local funds matched by the state and county estimated at $500,000.
Some upcoming projects for ‘25 is the Highway 90 widening project and highway utility relocation project. Highway 90 widening project is an MDOT project that will widen Highway 90 from 4 lanes to 6, expanding from State Highway 609 in Ocean Springs through Dauphin Drive in Gautier.
Directional intersections and multi-use pathway on one side of the highway will also be constructed. The Highway 90 Utility Relocation Project is a City of Ocean Springs project that will relocate all the utilities on Highway 90 that conflict with the proposed MDOT project.
This project consists of a multi-use pathway, increasing travel lanes to standard width, and utility improvements. This project is ready to go out to bid. We just got notice that MDOT says we can move forward with it, but we’ll be working on that shortly. This will be funded, it’s a $1.5 million project, it will be funded through the State Bonds and Modernization Act proceeds.
Riley Road improvements will include a multi-use pathway, increasing travel lanes to standard width, drainage improvements funded by the State Transportation Funding. This estimate is a $6 million project.
Public Works. This project consists of relocating public works to a new location with new facilities. This includes a new administration building. Link shop, coal barns, material storage bins, washout station, fueling station and more. This project will allow easy access to public works and will move it from its current residential area to a more industrial area. Gulf Coast restoration funds have been secured to support this estimated $10 million project. The City plans to create a public green space with new larger Ryan Youth Center, two multi-use recreational sports fields, pickleball courts, a walking path, a playground and more. This will be located at the current Public Works location on Pine Drive.
Ocean Springs needs to continue to move ahead in a positive direction. People love our small town. Businesses are excited to invest in our city. Whether it’s new businesses or current businesses that are expanding, our city must be able to support that progress.
Over the past three years, the city has received approximately $32 million in grants. I want to thank the Capital Group along with our coast delegation for making this a reality. As you can see, our city officials have been very busy.
Ocean Springs has so many opportunities to be created and how to grow our residents and our businesses. This is the time to shape our future and truly make Ocean Springs the place to be. God bless you, God bless America, God bless Ocean Springs.
(Automated software was used to transcribe audio from the event. Please report any errors.)
