JACKSON, Miss. — A big pay hike for the head of the Mississippi Development Authority and it’s not coming from your tax dollars.
Brent Christensen already makes $83,000 a year. The Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development is giving him another $47,000. That’s the maximum amount of the stipend private economic development groups can donate to the head of the MDA by law. But they have to name the businesses giving the money. Some argue that could lead to favoritism for those businesses. While others insist it’s crazy to think the MDA head wouldn’t already know who’s giving him the money.
The following is a list of those businesses donating to the $47,000 going to Christenson:
| The Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development Inc. | |
| MDA Fund Contributors | |
| Allen Beverages, Inc. | 1000.00 |
| Atmos Energy Corporation | 2000.00 |
| Balch & Bingham LLP | 2000.00 |
| BancorpSouth | 2000.00 |
| James L. Barksdale | 2000.00 |
| BKD LLP | 1000.00 |
| Butler Snow O’Mara Stevens and Cannada, PLLC | 2000.00 |
| Charter Bank | 500.00 |
| Comet Street Inc | 500.00 |
| Cooper Tire & Rubber Company | 2000.00 |
| Double Quick, Inc. | 1000.00 |
| Entergy Corporation | 2000.00 |
| Ergon Inc. | 1500.00 |
| FL Crane & Sons, Inc. | 500.00 |
| Greater Laurel Industrial Park | 1000.00 |
| GulfSouth Capital, Inc. | 1000.00 |
| Hancock Bank/Whitney | 2000.00 |
| Mattiace Development Company LLC | 1000.00 |
| Merchants & Marine Bank | 1000.00 |
| Mississippi Power Company | 2000.00 |
| Nucor Steel Jackson, Inc. | 1000.00 |
| Paxton Media dba The Daily Corinthian | 500.00 |
| Renasant Bank | 1000.00 |
| Sanderson Farms, Inc. | 2000.00 |
| South Mississippi EPA Group | 2000.00 |
| ( Coast Electric Power Association, | |
| South Mississippi Electric Power Association, | |
| Singing River Electric Power Association, | |
| Southern Pine Electric Power Association) | |
| Structual Steel Services, Inc. | 2000.00 |
| Theodore S. & Theordora L. Moll | 1000.00 |
| Telesouth Communications, Inc. | 2000.00 |
| TempStaff | 1000.00 |
| The Citizens Bank ( Philadelphia) | 1000.00 |
| The Merchants Company | 500.00 |
| The Weaver Consolidated Group, Inc. dba | |
| Tupelo Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper Bottling Company | 500.00 |
| Trustmark | 2000.00 |
| Tyson Foods Inc. | 500.00 |
| VT Halter Marine, Inc. | 2000.00 |
| 47000.00 | |
