The Picayune Item

Local News

September 6, 2012

Aldermen adopt new budget; set millage rate; no increase in taxes or water rates

By David A. Farrell, Item Staff Writer The Picayune Item

POPLARVILLE — The board of aldermen on Tuesday adopted a $1.9 million 2012-13 budget and held the millage rate to the same as last year.

That means that residents  will experience no tax increase to support the new budget. The board set the millage rate at 54 mills, the same as last year.

That means the City of Poplarville will take in less money in ad valorem taxes than it did last year because of falling property  values, but aldermen trimmed the budget to avoid having to raise millage rates.

In addition, the board did not raise the water rates. Water rates will remain the same as last year.  

The board made the move shortly after a short discussion period and a short budget hearing prior to adoption of the budget and setting the millage rate.

The Poplarville board has managed to squeeze by for the past three years without raising millage by squeezing the budget for additional savings.

The new budget takes effect on Oct. 1.

On an interlocal agreement between the City of Poplarville and the county, concerning housing city prisoners in the Millard county prison, aldermen sent a proposed contract between the city and the board of supervisors back to its attorney, Martin Travis Smith, with instructions to tweak the contract in negotiations with county attorney Joe Montgomery.

However, discussion on Tuesday showed that the aldermen have resigned to the fact that it will have to negotiate and sign some sort of contract agreement between the city and county governing incarceration of city prisoners at the Millard county prison.

Some aldermen have balked at paying the county for housing city prisoners at the county jail. Currently, the City of Poplarville does not pay for housing prisoners there. But the board of supervisors wants the City of Poplarville to pay a per prisoner per day rate of $20, the same as is paid by the state for housing state prisoners at the facility. Originally, supervisors wanted $30 per day per prisoner.

Aldermen have differed on the issue. Aldermen Dr. John A. Grant, Jr., and Bill Winborn have balked at the agreement, saying the citizens of Poplarville pay county taxes already and for the county to charge the city extra is “double dipping.” Both have pointed out the City of Poplarville doesn’t charge the county for fire and police assistance outside the city limits of Poplarville.

On Tuesday, both Winborn and Grant said they would be practical and sign an agreement although they don’t agree with it on a philosophical level. That paved the way for a few more changes to the agreement before both parties sign it.

City board attorney Smith has told the board of aldermen that opinions by the State Attorney General and case law says the county can legally charge the city for holding prisoners and that a contract is required between the two governmental entities even if the county did not charge a per diem.

Winborn pointed out that although state law requires a contract, and allows the county to charge a per diem, the law does not say they have to charge a per diem.

At an earlier board meeting, Alderman Johnny Sherman said he had no problem with an agreement if it was fairly negotiated, Alderwoman Shirley Wiltshire said she would not sign the agreement as then currently drawn, and Alderman Byron Wells pointed out the city would come out better financially by paying the per diem rather than having to build and maintain a city jail if the county refused to accept city prisoners because the city would not pay the per diem.

City clerk Jodi Stuart said her calculations showed that the city would have paid the county last year about $7,000 for holding city prisoners.

Sherman was absent from the Tuesday meeting.

The board recessed to Sept. 18 at 5 p.m. at City Hall.

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