By REGINA BUTLER

Progress Staff Writer

When he looks five years down the road, Pontotoc's current city mayor, Bill Rutledge, is optimistic about the future of the county seat town.

"I can see a bright future and a new job opportunities with Toyota and the probability of a tier one site close to Pontotoc city," Rutledge said.

"I can see furniture manufacturing coming back to Pontotoc and a lot of empty buildings having new ownership."

Rutledge said he can also see downtown revitalized with new businesses, "you are already seeing some of that with the PEPA, Terry Wood and Shane Crausby buildings."

The park and recreation department also will grow, according to Rutledge.

"I can see a new field at the park and recreation and the lake will be finished."

Rutledge said he can also see the elderly being taken care of in the city of Pontotoc with some "town transportation."

The three greatest assets to the city of Pontotoc are its people, schools and churches, Rutledge said.

"The people here are what make the city what it is, they are its history.

"When you have good education, people are always improving themselves.

"We have a lot of good quality church-going citizens in Pontotoc. They invest much into our community."

Moving the city forward by helping industry will be one of Rutledge's focuses over the next four years.

"It is said that 85 percent of all new jobs come within the company. We continue to work with the companies that are here so they will stay here.

"We are also working with Three Rivers and MDA (Mississippi Development Authority) to bring new companies to Pontotoc."

Rutledge said what would help businesses more than anything is if "people will spend their money in Pontotoc. Anything you need that you can buy here, you should buy here."

Rutledge said he is proud that Pontotoc still is able to operate without charging a city tax.

"We are the only city over 5,000 that has no city taxes. Why should I charge you to live here?"

Rutledge said the city goes after every dollar it can get through grants and matching grants on the state and national level. "For instance, we recently got a 90/10 percent grant for the police department."

Fiscal responsibility remains a top priority. "We don't buy anything unless we have the money, and we have been proactive about how we can save our money. We look for new ways to save. Our goal is not to put an additional tax burden on the city."

And Pontotoc, just like any other city, has its growing pains which require stricter rules in some instances, he said.

"Codes are a way of life in a municipality," Rutledge said. "We had to adopt the international city code to continue to get government monies,

"And codes are set forth for the safety of the people. It is to protect your interest in your property, to maintain its value and beauty."

Rutledge said Pontotoc has some golden opportunities in the future.

"I believe we live in the best place anybody can live. This is the most giving and caring city. And our attitude must remain positive."