Costs of running county on the rise

No tax increase is expected in Neshoba County for the proposed Fiscal Year 2022-2023 General Fund budget.

But, expenditures are expected to be more than what the county takes in during the next fiscal year by around $330,120, officials said.

“We have multiple funds,” County Administrator Jeff Mayo said. “But as far as the General Fund is concerned, this is the first budget that I have prepared that has more expenditures than it has revenues for the fiscal year that is coming.”

The Board of Supervisors adopted their purposed FY 22-23 budget during the Monday meeting. A public hearing will be advertised in an upcoming edition of The Neshoba Democrat, they said.

“The public hearing will probably be during our meeting on Sept. 6. After that, the supervisors will vote on the budget,” Mayo said.

The county has budgeted $8,735,008 in estimated revenue.  The majority of the revenue for the General Fund comes from ad valorem taxes and other sources.

Mayo said the current budget is expected under budget and that carry over will help with any shortfalls.

In the proposed General Fund budget, the county plans to spend $9,065.128, which is an increase of $659,703 when compared to the current budget plan. Mayo said the costs of running county government have gone up.

“The biggest increase includes prisoner feeding costs which is up about $100,000,” Mayo said. “We will be spending over $400,000 for prisoner feeding costs in the next fiscal year.

“Our health insurance for our employees will be an additional $100,000 in costs. We have state mandated raises and fees. We have additional property and liability insurance costs. And then we have all of the inflationary commodities like gas and diesel and delivery costs and utilities costs.”

“We have just received the local requests for the Neshoba County School District and Union School District,” Mayo said.

The county raises the local tax revenue for the Neshoba County District and Union School District. People living in the boundaries of the two school districts pay property taxes for support their respective district. People living in the city of Philadelphia limits don’t pay county school taxes. They pay school taxes through the city to support the Philadelphia Municipal School District.

“We have just received the local requests for the Neshoba County School District and Union School District,” Mayo said.

The Neshoba County School District is requesting $5,719,916 from the county in the next fiscal year, which is a $99,202 increase over the current budget.

The Union School District is requesting $502,249, a $45.456 increase.

“The people in the Neshoba County district could see a slight decrease in property taxes,” Mayo said. “We are still looking at the numbers for Union.”