From Mayor Hal Marx: I'm very pleased to announce that the City of Petal has reached a tentative agreement in principle on wastewater treatment. The final details are still being worked out for a contract, but the two cities have agreed on a price that is fair to the citizens of Petal and will not result in any immediate increase in rates. The board of aldermen and I will hold a town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 21, at the Petal Civic Center, to fully explain the agreement and the choices we faced in finding a permanent solution to our city's needs.

It has always been our contention that Petal citizens should only pay what is our fair share of the cost of treating wastewater. We filed a lawsuit to protect our interests, which we can now dismiss. I invite you all to come to the meeting on the 21st and get full details on this new agreement