HANCOCK COUNTY—As coastal communities plan for growth and long-term infrastructure needs, leaders in Hancock County say state funding decisions and local development priorities will shape what comes next during the 2026 legislative session.
This story is part of a Roy Howard Community Journalism Center reporting project examining what mayors and county supervisors across southeast Mississippi want from state lawmakers during the 2026 legislative session. The project includes county-by-county reporting and an interactive overview highlighting shared priorities, regional differences and policy challenges facing local governments.
Readers can explore the full project, including an interactive overview and reporting from all 10 counties, here.
In Hancock County, those priorities include expanding the local tax base, managing housing demand and improving public access to coastal amenities, according to city leaders.
Downtown Development and Local Revenue
Diamondhead Mayor Anna Liese and City Manager Jon McCraw said the city is preparing for a long-planned project to build its first defined downtown area. As Diamondhead’s population grows, Liese and McCraw said the city is looking to expand business activity and revenue, which they said could help balance the costs of growth.
“Diamondhead has been around for over 50 years, but we didn’t incorporate until 2012,” Liese said. “We’re kind of one of the youngest cities in the state … we’ve had growth, and we’ve had some commercial things come in, but we haven’t had a defined downtown, and that’s what this is.”
The project is still underway. For now, only streetlamps mark the route toward the future downtown area. Liese and McCraw said the city plans to use form-based zoning, an approach intended to guide development while allowing a mix of businesses and uses to move in over time.
“It’s a blank slate right now, and we’ve got a great opportunity to really make things nice,” Liese said.
Housing, Infrastructure and Legislative Outlook
Liese said Diamondhead also needs more housing to keep up with residents moving into the area. Two subdivisions that were completed last year have already filled, she said, and city leaders believe there is a shortage of new housing they hope to address in the coming year.
“I think we could certainly use more housing,” Liese said. “I think we would have grown even more if we’d had more places to put people.”
McCraw said the city has applied for grant funding through Gulf Coast Restoration funds and frequently works with the Mississippi Department of Transportation on infrastructure funding.
Diamondhead recently completed construction on the Noma Drive boat and kayak launch and plans to expand its public pier by 1,800 linear feet, with a multistory observation deck. City leaders said the project is intended to improve access for residents and visitors for boating, fishing and other marine recreation.
Liese and McCraw said they are watching the upcoming state legislative session closely as they wait to see how funding will be distributed.
“I’m excited to see how they work together this year, and what that might mean for us,” Liese said.
This story reflects responses from local leaders who were available to participate during the reporting period. Readers who would like to hear from city or county leaders not included here are encouraged to contact RHCJC News, and additional outreach will be made when possible.
This article is one of 10 county-level stories in the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center’s project examining local leaders’ priorities for the 2026 legislative session. The full interactive project is available here.
This article first appeared on RHCJC and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.