NEWTON — The city of Newton is seeking a state grant to repair a long-running, leaky roof at City Hall that has caused extensive water damage inside the building.

    “We have water damage inside the board room, an office, the bathroom and pretty bad damage upstairs,” Newton Mayor David Carr said. “We will have to get the roof fixed first, and after that we will see what other repairs we will need.”

    Earlier this week, the Newton Board of Aldermen approved a motion to seek grant funds for the roof repair through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

    East Central Planning and Development Projects Manager Lynnetta Cooksey said the city meets the criteria for the grant application since the building is listed on the Mississippi Registry of Historical Places.

    The grant the city is applying for is a matching grant. If approved, the grant would pay for 80 percent of the cost, with the city responsible for the remaining 20 percent.

    Cooksey said the preliminary cost estimates for repairing the roof and water damage inside the building is $213,800. The city is applying for 80 percent of that cost, or $171,000. If approved, the city’s matching cost would be $42,760.

    Cooksey said the grant application is due by Oct. 2. The city will find out in December if the grant has been awarded.