The Eupora Board of Aldermen has approved the city's budget and tax levy for next fiscal year with no increase in the property tax rate.
Aldermen adopted the 2021-22 fiscal year budget and a resolution setting the city tax mills for FY 2022 at 26 mills during a special-called meeting Sept. 14. The budget for General City is $2.2 million and that for Water/Sewer is $3.25 million. The millage is the same as the current fiscal year, which ends Thursday.
The budget and tax levy were adopted 3-0 with no discussion among the board members present for that vote: Billy Tabb (Ward 2) was absent and Robert Gibbs (Ward 4) arrived afterwards. A budget summary and the resolution fixing the tax levy for the city were published in the Sept. 22 edition.
The budget was adopted as presented at a Sept. 1 public hearing with no changes. It includes a capital outlay as originally proposed of $541,991 for the Eupora Police Department, which is an increase of $19,016. All city employees, including those of the EPD, were granted a 2% raise, according to Mayor Blake McMullan.
Tabb had said during the budget hearing he was of the opinion that the EPD's budget was too high, and should be cut by as much as half and reallocated for “hands-on” needs such as streets, water and parks. The alderman cited, in part, complaints he said he had received from some residents about not getting an answer when they called the police station.
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Police Vehicles
The board’s Sept. 7 meeting also included discussion of the Police Department during the agenda item “Police vehicles inside city limits.”
McMullan said he had talked with Police Chief Gregg Hunter (who is retiring Thursday) about rising gas prices and the fact that some officers who live as far as 15 miles away drive their police vehicles home
The mayor recommended that officers who live more than 5 miles from the city be prohibited from taking their police vehicle home. He said this would involve three vehicles and should save the department about $6,000 a year while still allowing those who live within 5 miles of the city to drive their police vehicle home.
Hunter, according to McMullan, said allowing officers to keep their police vehicles with them would be better in an emergency. Jerry Gary (at-large) also asked how such a change would affect officers who are on call and possible liability if they were involved in an accident while speeding to an emergency in their personal vehicle.
After further discussion, McMullan asked for a motion regarding his recommendation but none was made and no action was taken. Tabb said he was for saving money and the Police Department functioning efficiently, but that he had concerns about the safety aspect of the proposed policy change.
“I say we pick a little bigger issue,” Tabb said.
