Supervisors eye millage increase for new budget

By Rupert Howell

Preliminary figures provided to Panola County Supervisors at Thursday’s recess meeting indicated a millage increase of 6.3 percent in the South Panola School District and 1.5 percent in the North Panola District to fund the county’s proposed budget at the current year’s level.

County Administrator Kelley Magee said less millage would go toward North Panola School District as less was required to pay bonded indebtedness.

A large factor in the county and South Panola Schools’ portions of the budget request is the loss of LSP Energy which decreased taxable property by $30 million.

Magee’s figures indicate it would take a considerably larger millage total if the county and school district had not been promised a one-time payment from LSP’s new owner, South Mississippi Electric Power Association.

Last year’s South Panola budget required millage of 56.43 to fund the same amount that it will take 64.87 mills to fund. Likewise the county’s portion of millage would have increased from 62.21 to 70.91 to raise the same dollar amount as last year’s budget.

Supervisors set a budget hearing date for Monday, September 9 at the courthouse in Batesville following their regular Second District meeting.