Town Creek millage, Humane Society get big increases in Lee County budget
Sep. 14—TUPELO — Lee County Supervisors on Monday adopted a new budget, including a significant increase to the Town Creek Master Water District's tax levy, but not without concerns from the board.
On Monday, the county board voted unanimously to adopt a budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year, as well as more than doubling the tax levy for residents in Town Creek.
The new budget includes increases to the Sheriff's office for a raise to jailers, funding for Court Appointed Special Advocates and an increase to the county's contribution to the Tupelo Lee Humane Society.
Board approved tax levy with reservations
Supervisors expressed pointed concern with the increase in millage for the Town Creek district.
Under the new budget, the district's tax levy will jump from 3 to 7.5 mills. With this increase, an individual with a home with an estimated value of $100,000 would see an extra $45 in their annual property taxes.
"(4.5 mills) is going to kick your taxes quite a bit," Board President and District 1 Supervisor Phil Morgan said. "I just don't see the justification of that kind of millage. If they can levy that much tax, they should have an elected board."
But County Administrator and Chancery Clerk Bill Benson said the county has no say in Town Creek's board or its decision to raise its tax levy.
"(The board) has no control over that; their board levies that tax," Benson said, adding that the management district only needed the approval of a Chancery Court Judge to increase its millage. "We spread their levy over our minutes. You don't have any choice."
District 3 Supervisor Wesley Webb asked what the district contributed and what percent of the county falls under it. Benson said he was unsure of every function, but when it was created in 1961, its main function was to build a host of dams to control the area's flood issues. It now maintains 24 dams throughout Northeast Mississippi and taxes residents in Lee, Pontotoc, Prentiss and Union counties.
"What are they spending their money on besides just Bush Hogging?" Webb said. "Why are they needing that extra money?"
Benson noted the district's commissioners only get paid per diem, about $45 per meeting following a 2019 claim by State Auditor Shad White that the district's unelected board of commissioners had for years been paying themselves more than what was legally allowed. Benson noted that, after the audit, the district reduced its tax levy.
Even with the current hike, the district's new tax levy has yet to reach the same levels of just a few years ago.
Budget projects significant increase in revenue
Lee County's revenue saw a significant jump in revenue over the past year — $9.9 million for a total of $33.4 million in projected revenue. Though the increase seems major, the bulk of the increase is a portion of the $16.6 million in American Rescue Act Funds the county procured.
Among the increases in expenses is a $493,00 increase to the Lee County Adult Jail's budget to support raises for deputies and jailers. Benson noted that jailers would get a $3 raise from $15 to $18
Chief Deputy John Hall said the raise is in an attempt to compete with Itawamba County's new jail, which has a similar pay rate, noting two officers moved to the neighboring county and another got an offer but changed their mind.
"It should put them in a good position," he said of the raise. "We are very competitive if (Tupelo) does not go up. ... This should give a bigger pool to pick from."
Meanwhile, Benson noted extra funds to the jail budget from the construction of a new jail. He told the Daily Journal that there were miscellaneous contractor funds in the budget if the board decides to move forward, adding it would take time to draft a new design, so there was no need to add funds to the jail budget.
The board also approved a significant increase to the Humane Society's budget — from $53,894 to $500,000. Benson said this was not only a significant increase in their operating budget but also marks the first fiscal year in which the county took the full brunt of the cost for the shelter. The new funding allocation is double the previous allocation from both the city and county.
"That was an agreement the mayor and the board president worked out," Benson told the Daily Journal, adding that both the shelter and the city pay taxes to the county, so it made sense. "They were having severe problems meeting their operations budget."
This funding comes after officials from the Humane Society met with both Tupelo elected officials and the board to address their condition because of the pandemic. The society incurs about $90,000 in expenses a month and only got $175,000 from the city along with the county's $53,000.
Of the $16.6 million in total ARPA funds, the county budgeted $2.5 million for water and sewer projects in Turner Park and $10 million placed into the general fund through lost revenue reimbursement.
