BROOKHAVEN — Average Gas Prices are falling again in Mississippi and are down 7.7 cents from last week but they still have not returned to normal. According to GasBuddy, the prices are up 21.9 cents per gallon from last month and $1.69 cents per gallon from last year. 

JL Barnett, a locally owned and operated trucking company based out of Brookhaven, has dealt first hand with the rising cost of diesel. JL Barnett Operating manager Shelbi Rutland said their fuel bill has doubled in the last two years and while their shipping rates have gone up to help offset some of the fuel costs they haven’t completely covered it. 

She said due to rates going up the people they supply, whether it be grocery stores or other distributors, have to raise their prices which hurts the company’s employees pockets. 

“Fuel prices are astronomical and it is hurting our own operators. It takes more out of their pocket to fuel up,” Rutland said. “Rates have gone up to help them but anything they are moving they end up paying more for at the store. It is a trickle-down effect.” 

Brookhaven’s City expenditures on gas are more than normal especially with the police department, city clerk Samantha Melancon said. The fire department is seeing higher costs as well. She said the invoices for gas from May were double what they were last year in May.. 

Rising fuel costs affect the current budget but they should be fine and have room in the budget until the new budget starts Oct. 1, 2022. 

“It is significantly higher than what we are having to spend. For the upcoming budget we will make some adjustments,” Melancon said. “We will factor it in when we do the budget.”