Eupora aldermen held public hearings concerning the fiscal year 2023-24 budget and tax levy on Sept. 5.
Then-Mayor Blake McMullan (who submitted his resignation following a Sept. 18 meeting) gave an overview of the budget during the first hearing.
Under Intergovernmental Revenues, state grants total $480,000. These include House Bill 603 police, roads and fire funds. Grants from local units total $254,493 and include funding from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation for the Healthy Heroes Program and funding from Plymouth Tube to be used on a walking trail at Spud Stennett Park.
The city budget includes a 2% raise for employees. The fiscal 2024 budget in General Fund is $3.83 million, up from $3.05 million, while the Water and Sewer Fund budget totals $5.73 million.
During the second hearing concerning the tax levy, McMullan stated the tax millage would not increase but stay the same at 26 mills.
He also discussed the negative financial impact on cities from planned changes in the Mississippi Public Employees’ Retirement System, which provides retirement benefits for state and local government employees.
The PERS board of trustees has voted to increase the employer contribution rate for each employee by 2% starting with the state’s new fiscal year in July (nine months into the city’s upcoming fiscal year). This means the employer contribution rate would increase to 19.40% of payroll in July, according to Mississippi Today.
No comments or objections were made by those present at the hearings. After both were closed, the board by a 5-0 vote adopted a resolution fixing the fiscal 2024 levy for the city at 26 mills.
Because at least a week’s time is required between a city budget hearing and adoption, the board scheduled a special-called meeting for Sept. 13 to adopt the budget for fiscal year 2023-24. The city published the budget of estimated revenue and expenditures for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2024, in this newspaper on Sept. 22. The advertisement stated the budget was adopted Sept. 12 and approved by the mayor.
