By By Fredie Carmichael/The Meridian Star
Sept. 11, 2001
After weeks of trimming spending requests for next year, Lauderdale County supervisors will give residents a chance to discuss the proposed county budget at a 5:30 p.m. public hearing today.
Supervisors could vote Thursday on the $29.7 million budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The budget would give county workers a 2 percent raise; it would not increase property taxes
At that meeting, supervisors spent two hours going through the budget line-by-line and trimming hundreds of dollars in spending requests, a move they said will result in no property tax increase.
That may not be the case in Meridian. The mayor and councilmen are considering a budget that would raise property taxes 5 percent and not include a pay raise for city workers.
In the county, county workers originally were set to receive a 3 percent pay raise; supervisors reduced the raise to 2 percent. Supervisors also trimmed money from the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Department.
The Sheriff's Department originally requested $200,000 to buy new vehicles. Supervisors, however, decided to give the department $80,000 next year, the same amount it received this year.
Lauderdale County Sheriff Billy Sollie said he doesn't plan to discuss the issue tonight at the meeting.
Supervisors also trimmed their travel budget, cutting $3,500 from the original $11,200 request. Supervisors Craig Hitt of District 5 and Ray Boswell of District 3 adamantly supported the cut.
Fredie Carmichael is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551, ext. 3228 or E-mail him at fcarmichael@themeridianstar.com.