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Supervisors fret over future budget By SUE WATSON
Staff Writer The
Marshall County Board of Supervisors is concerned over unfunded
mandates from the State of Mississippi, revenue shortfalls and uneven
cash flow this fall until property taxes come in January 2011. The
discussion was begun by consultant Gary Anderson, who reported the
state has a $51 million shortfall in total tax revenues for the month
of May. He said the governor does not expect to make additional cuts in
the state budget but would likely dip into the rainy day fund to plug
any holes in the budget for the rest of the fiscal year ending June 30,
2010. Anderson added the Mississippi Association
of Supervisors will discuss what county governments’ responses should
be to state issues of pushing the tax burden down to local governments.
“It will be a worthwhile session to attend,” Anderson said of the upcoming MAS convention in Tunica County. Supervisor Ronnie Joe Bennett asked Anderson to clarify what unfunded mandates mean to local governments. “It means it is not an option to us?,” he asked. “When a mandate is handed down we have to take care of it?" “Yes,” Anderson said. Later
in the meeting, chancery clerk Chuck Thomas reported a mid-month claims
docket totaling $622,954. The county is still one month or $56,000
behind in its reimbursement of Resourceful Environmental Solutions for
unpaid garbage bills, he said, and there is only $166,000 left in the
solid waste collections budget for the year. “I
feel if we are not careful we will run out of cash from November
through January,” he said. “So, departments have to come in under
budget.” The next large collection of tax revenue
is not due until the August tax sale which provides the largest
infusion of operating money until the January tax collections roll in. In other business, the board: • asked for speed limit signs on new road work on St. Paul and Higdon roads. • learned the Marshall/Benton WIN Center should open July 1.
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