This is according to an analysis of data from the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
State Line (population 539) earned $129,581 in 2017 from fines and forfeitures or about $240.41 per resident. This represented 32.1 percent of the city’s revenues ($403,106 in 2017).
In 2016, the town, which is in both Greene and Wayne counties, earned $69,644 in fines and forfeitures ($129.20 per citizen) and $90,710 in 2015 ($168.29 per). This represented 21.7 percent of the city’s revenue in 2016 ($319,871) and 25.1 percent in 2015 ($361,304).
Walls was second, averaging $172.93 per citizen in fines and forfeitures after earning $238,476. The small DeSoto county town (1,379 population) was ranked first in a study by Governing magazine which rank cities and towns nationwide on the amount of their budgets coming from fines and forfeitures.
The town sourced 26.53 percent of its budget from fines and forfeitures in 2017. Walls had 25.7 percent of its budget originating from fines and forfeitures in 2015 and 32.2 percent in 2014.
Magee was third, with its $595,238 in fines and forfeitures in 2017 adding up to $141.89 for each one of its 4,195 residents. This accounted for 24.3 percent of the Simpson County city’s $2.45 million in revenues in 2017.
Sixteen Mississippi cities earned at least $1 million in fines and forfeitures and only one of them, Flowood, was in the top 10 per capita. The average for residents in cities and towns was $32.54.
Flowood, a Rankin County city, was fourth, with its $1,051,453 in fines and forfeitures in 2017 adding up to $112.19 per citizen. With Flowood’s revenues exceeding $19.6 million in 2017, this represented only 6.4 percent of the city’s budget.
Ecru, in Pontotoc County was fifth, with $110,198 in fines and forfeitures in 2018. This added up to $106.99 per each one of the town’s 1,030 residents. These fines and forfeitures represented 6.8 percent of the town’s $1.62 million in revenues.
Bruce was the final town to earn $100 or more per citizen in fines and forfeitures. In 2017, the city earned $196,744 in revenue from fines and forfeitures. This represented 11.42 percent of the city’s $1.72 million in revenues.
| City | Population (2018 census estimate) | Last fine and forfeiture numbers | Per Citizen |
| State Line | 539 | $ 129,581.00 | $ 240.41 |
| Walls | 1,379 | $ 238,476.00 | $ 172.93 |
| Magee | 4,195 | $ 595,238 | $ 141.89 |
| Flowood | 9,372 | $ 1,051,453.00 | $ 112.19 |
| Ecru | 1,030 | $ 110,198.00 | $ 106.99 |
| Bruce | 1,839 | $ 196,744.00 | $ 106.98 |
| Liberty | 670 | $ 63,006.00 | $ 94.04 |
| Pelahatchie | 1,350 | $ 117,523.00 | $ 87.05 |
| Scooba | 688 | $ 59,411.00 | $ 86.35 |
| Mathiston | 651 | $ 56,017.00 | $ 86.05 |
| Richland | 7,222 | $ 612,044.00 | $ 84.75 |
| Florence | 4,519 | $ 355,079.00 | $ 78.57 |
| Collins | 2,548 | $ 193,289.00 | $ 75.86 |
| Grenada | 12,267 | $ 927,283.00 | $ 75.59 |
| Decatur | 1,770 | $ 133,442.00 | $ 75.39 |