LAUREL —
The Laurel City Council is expected to approve the city’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 during its meeting today.
Among the items placed on tonight’s agenda, is an order to adopt the budget for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011.
The proposed document presented to the public during a public hearing last week had no tax increase proposed; several agencies receiving limited appropriations; no raises for city employees; and fines from municipal court decreased by $200,000.
However, since the hearing, city officials said some additional changes have been made, but will not involve a tax increase.
Also on the Sept. 7th agenda is an order for the council to adopt the tax levy millage for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2011.
City Clerk Mary Ann Hess said the city’s total tax mills appropriation will remain at 35.65 mills that was also levied in the current budget.
According to documents, 16.13 mills will be for the general fund, 4.82 for special revenue fund, 7.33 for debt service fund and 7.37 fiduciary fund; bringing the total to 35.65 mills. It is also noted that the school district’s budget will require 66.47 mills.
Hess said a mill is valued at $150,378, which is down from the $150,523 value for the 2010 fiscal year.
According to the proposed budget given to the public, the city’s projected beginning balance for the 2011 Fiscal Year will be $651,870. Revenues anticipated in the 2011 budget will be $14,825,120 and expenditures will be $15,253,771, which will give a projected ending balance of $223,219.
Although anticipated expenditures are more than the projected revenues, Hess said, because of the $650,000 beginning balance, the city would have a balance budget.
Tony Wheat, chairman of the budget committee, said the city has been working to keep taxes down.
During that time, officials with the City of Laurel have been looking at ways to eliminate about a half a million dollars in order to balance next year’s budget.
“We had originally projected a half a mill increase to fund the old retirement plan for fire and police,” Wheat said. “However, we made some adjustments in our projected budget to cover that cost.”
Laurel’s CAO Dennis Keveryn said reduced sales taxes and the current economy resulted in officials looking at ways to cut city expenses.
Keveryn said personnel as well as all funding components have been reviewed.
“When I was here before from 1998 to 2003, the city varied between 310-315 employees,” he said. “Today we have 288 employees. We will soon be hiring one person, which will make the number 289.”
Keveryn said the city has been able to reach the reduced number of employees through attrition.
“We have had people to resign, retire or be terminated resulting in our number of employees to be reduced by 16 full-time employees and 16 part-time employees this year,” the chief administrative officer said. “These personnel changes have resulted in a reduction of approximate $670,000 in payroll and benefits.”
While also reducing the number of city employees, Keveryn said, administrators have worked to purchase new vehicles and equipment by means other than the city’s general fund.
Because of some of these changes, officials said, the city’s proposed ad valorem tax revenue is able to remain the same.
Keveryn said the city has made many changes this year to keep taxes down.
The city’s budget, which does not have a proposed millage increase, must be approved by the end of the working day on Sept. 15.
The city’s new budget begins Oct. 1.
Also today, the council will consider making some budget amendments to the current 2009-10 Fiscal Year Budget.
The City Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. today in the Council Chambers at Laurel City Hall.
Local News
City Council expected to approve budget
- Local News
-
-
Get ready for control burns in the area
Area motorists and residents may notice a lot of smoke coming from some of the county’s heavily wooded areas in the coming weeks.
-
Officials pleased with Chancellor’s appointment
At 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, Lance Chancellor became the new executive director of the Jones County Emergency Management Agency.
-
Heidelberg has a new police chief
A longtime Jasper Countian has been named the head law enforcement official in this Jasper County town.
Huey Powe is now the Police Chief for the Town of Heidelberg. -
Annual Rotary Club Spaghetti dinner Saturday
The Laurel Rotary Club will conduct its annual Spaghetti dinner this weekend at the YWCO.
-
American Red Cross looking for local volunteers
The East Central Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross is looking for a few good men, women, boys and girls to join its team of disaster volunteers.
-
Officials put a name with scammer
Jones County officials have now released the name of a man they are seeking in connection with a recent fire scam in the area.
-
Family barely escapes mobile home fire
In the early morning hours of Tuesday, a family of five was awaken by the smell of smoke quickly filling their 28 x 70 doublewide mobile home located at 39 Ellisville Junction Road in Jones County.
-
Farewell and Hello
Well-wishers from near and far gathered in Laurel to say farewell to longtime Jones County Emergency Management Executive Director Don McKinnon, while his replacement — a familiar face among emergency officials — was welcomed earlier in the day Tuesday.
-
Cobb’s bond set at $250K
A $250,000 cash bond has been set for a 19-year-old Jones County man jailed at the Jones County Adult Detention Center in connection with a vicious attack on a woman in the Sharon Community.
-
Laurel man has given over 33 gallons of blood
Local residents gave blood Tuesday at Laurel City Hall as a part of the City of Laurel’s blood drive.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Killer of Fla. Girl Found in Landfill Gets Life
Army Orders Bradley Manning Court-martial
Cancer Charity Revives Breast-screening Grants
Heavy Snowstorm Hits Colorado On Its Way East
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
Prosecutors Close Armstrong Inquiry, No Charges
Sights and Sounds: Football Fans Pour Into Indy
Unemployment Rate Down to 8.3%
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
First Person: Will Peyton Manning Stay in Indy?
Egypt Shaken After Deadly Soccer Riot
New Suits, New Starts for New York's Unemployed
Hall of Famer Dorsett Speaks Out on NFL Injuries
