City increases taxes, money to go to police, fire raises
With
CPA
The budget projects a
Approximately
Reflecting on years past, Collins said the city had a deficit of approximately
This current fiscal year, the city is projected to end with an approximately
"I'm just going to say it -- it's a good possibility you may have to borrow money before the end of the (month)," Collins said. "The reason I'm saying that is you had to borrow
Before approving the budget, the mayor and aldermen opened a public hearing -- as state law requires -- so members of the public could make comments or voice concerns.
Of the two commenters, resident
Peterman stressed he supported the raises for city police and firefighters, but he posed a question to the mayor and board.
"What I'd like to know is what is the city doing to keep expenses down?" he asked.
Peterman asked the mayor and aldermen how many vehicles the city owns and how much it costs to run them, which no one could answer.
"I don't know how many vehicles y'all have -- y'all don't even know how many vehicles you have, but that's one area where you can save taxpayers' money," he said.
Peterman also believed the city could cut down in areas of cell phone usage, and he asked whether the city properly monitored license tags on vehicles and roadside businesses, to ensure that everyone is "paying the city their fair share."
Lastly, Peterman questioned why Natchez Water Works advertises in The
After Peterman thanked the board for its consideration, resident
Wilson said he appreciates the hard work the city has put into the budget over the weeks, but he said he wishes the police and fire departments could receive a 10-percent raise rather than just 7 percent.
"My concern is that I think even with the 7-percent (raise), they still aren't going to make as much as certainly the (
The 7-percent raise brings a starting NPD wage just more than
Wilson also asked where possible cuts could be made, specifically mentioning the addition of a department head salary for recreation, something the city had initially planned to include in its budget.
Grennell said he had decided to "scratch" the idea of a new department head, a position initially slated to earn upwards of
Wilson also voiced concern about the maintenance cost of the planned swimming pool after construction, asking exactly what those costs would be.
Dillard said Wilson's question would be better suited for the recreation commission or the
After the public comments, Grennell requested a motion to approve the budget. Before the vote, Grennell asked Deputy Clerk
Latham said he had not really considered the issue because he was unaware it was going to occur, but Latham did not think reading the letter would present a legal concern.
Grennell asked the board for its preference, and
After thinking for a moment and consulting briefly with Latham, Grennell said the statement would wait until Tuesday.
In Smith's statement, which the
"There is already a larger tax burden with the increased appraised property values, although the city's proportion is way low compared to that of the county," Smith said. "Higher taxes actually hit the poorest in our community the hardest because they have less disposable income. Businesses are also affected negatively, which can hinder local growth."
Smith said the city has "major financial issues," noting the funds being added to next year's budget:
"That totals close to
Smith said she wanted to be cautious and approve a 5-percent raise for police and fire immediately, wanting to add another 5-percent raise at a time when the raises can be afforded. She also said the city must be willing to sacrifice more if they are going to ask taxpayers to do the same.
Smith said she is willing to take a 10-percent salary cut as she did her first three years in office.
"As a matter of principle, I believe it takes sacrifice on all our parts when you have a city that has shrunk in population, making our revenue streams lower. It should not fall strictly on the burden of the taxpayers."
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(c)2017 The Natchez Democrat (Natchez, Miss.)
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