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Supervisors adopt budget
with tax increase
Published Wednesday, Sept. 9
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
Alcorn County supervisors approved a 2.81 mill tax increase for county residents on Tuesday, citing the need to absorb growing costs for insurance and other expenses and to fund several new expenses.
The new budget was approved 4-1 following a brief public hearing in which several citizens expressed opposition to the tax increase. Board of Supervisors President Gary Ross cast the lone dissenting vote.
The fiscal year 2009-2010 budget includes a 2.81 mill increase in the county's base millage rate. The rate would rise from the current 53.66 mills to 56.47 mills in the new year.
Total millage for residents of the county and Alcorn School District will rise from the current level of 98.9 mills to 103.23 mills including a 1.52 mill increase adopted by the school district. The millage rate affects the amount of taxes paid on real estate, car tags and other property.
Charlotte Mills said she understands the need for the county to cope with increased costs, but is concerned about the effect of the boost on residents. She noted residents of Farmington, where she lives, will also absorb an increase in their tax rate from the Alcorn County School District and an increase by the City of Farmington.
"I want to retire, but I don't know if I can. I've got to pay taxes," she said. L.D. "Bud" Cox and his son, Jerry Cox, also encouraged the board to try to absorb the additional expenses rather than increase taxes and expressed concern about the impact of the raise on residents already struggling with the difficult economy.
"The people you're collecting taxes from, a lot of them have not got the income today that they had four years ago," said L.D. Cox.
Local businessman Steve Simmons said he is concerned about the tax increase's impact on business. He said the increase will have to be passed along to tenants and could make it more expensive for potential employers to rent facilities.
Supervisors said the raise is necessary to bring county revenues back to the level they were at prior to a large tax cut made by the previous board in the 2007-2008 budget year. The increase also includes 1 additional mill dedicated to paying back an $800,000 loan for the final phase of right of way acquisition and matching funds for the Kimberly-Clark industrial access road and .48 mills dedicated to a tuition assistance program that will cover the remaining costs of tuition to Northeast Mississippi Community College for graduating seniors in the county once they have exhausted all grant and scholarship options. The parks department will receive .3 mills in additional funding bring their millage to 1.8 mills.
The budget also includes boosts for numerous county departments to offset rises in the costs of operations.
In addition to funds generated from taxes, the proposed budget would use funds from the sale of a previously county-owned nursing home to bring it into balance. The current proposal calls for the use of $682,000 from the nursing home account's balance of approximately $2.5 million.
Third District Supervisor Jeff Rencher said the tuition assistance program and a boost in funding for parks and recreation were the only areas in the budget officials had any real discretion in, due to the rise in costs associated with doing business such as insurance and utilities.
"It's like a monster that's going to eat and you've got to feed it," he said.
Board members expressed optimism that next year's budget could bring a tax cut. First District Supervisor Keith Fields said they hope to be able to reduce taxes in the future now that they've come closer to making up for the previous cuts.
Ross, who was the only supervisor voting against the plan, said he was opposed to the size of the tax increase, particularly due to increases in funding for specific agencies which he declined to publicly name.
Outside agency funding in the 2009-2010 budget includes: Corinth-Alcorn County Humane Society $25,000 (up from $20,882) Ambulance service $5,000 (unchanged); Rienzi Rescue Squad $950 (unchanged); Corinth Alcorn County Airport $110,000 (up from $100,000); Red Cross $1,592 (unchanged); Corinth Area Arts Council $25,000 (unchanged); Our Resource Center (formerly the Brick House) $5,000 (unchanged); Timber Hills/ Region IV Mental Health Mental Retardation Commission $51,111 (unchanged); Northeast Mississippi Community Services $8,220 (unchanged); SAFE Inc. $1,500 (unchanged); Northeast Mississippi Regional Library $139,050 (up from $135,000); Jacinto Foundation $25,080 (unchanged); Alcorn County Genealogical Society $2,400 (unchanged); Soil Conservation $51,072 (up from $49,635); Mississippi State University Extension Service $102,815 (up from $100,315); Northeast Mississippi Planning and Development District $20,000 (up from $19,048); Northeast Mississippi Business Incubation System $14,987 (unchanged).
