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Adams County works on budget
Published Saturday, August 9, 2008
NATCHEZ — On Wednesday the Adams County Board of Supervisors began a tedious task — developing a county budget.
Board President Henry Watts said Wednesday’s meeting was only the first of many to plan the county’s future budget year.
The county’s financial year is Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.
“It’s a long process,” he said.
Watts said the board’s main objective is to find areas where savings can be had.
“We want to literally try to take each line item and see what we can do to cut excess spending,” he said.
And while Watts stressed a need for savings, supervisor Darryl Grennell stressed a need for cautious trimming of the budget.
“It can’t just be bare bones,” he said.
While Grennell also expressed a desire to have an efficient budget, he said an ideal budget must have balance.
“We have to be realistic,” he said. “There are always unexpected things that come up and we have to be ready for that.”
So with cautious trimming in mind the board has been busy.
Watts said between $70,000 and $80,000 in spending has been eliminated from approximately 15 departments.
And that’s after just two meetings.
However, on Friday Watts did not outline what departments had received specific cuts.
“We’re looking for obvious things to cut,” he said. “Any areas of unnecessary spending.”
While cuts will benefit the future budget, the current budget is facing a deficit, Watts said.
As of Friday, Watts projected the current deficit to be approximately $622,000.
In the current budget year, the county is operating with a budget of approximately $22.1 million, with two months left in the budget year approximately $22.8 million has been spent.
Watts said upon preliminary examination of the budget he was uncertain where the deficit had come from.
“I don’t like what I’m seeing,” he said.
However the county’s tax assessor, Reynolds Atkins, appeared before the board on Wednesday with a piece of good news.
Atkins reported a projected growth of approximately $250,000 in taxes for the coming budget year.
Atkins attributed the tax boost to new home construction, two new hotels and what he called “natural growth.”
Watts said while he was pleased with the higher tax revenue, he and the board are still committed to cutting waste.
Watts said he has given board attorney Bobby Cox a list of approximately 20 groups that receive annual appropriations, basically donations, from the county to see which can be eliminated.
Watts said he gave the list to Cox so that Cox could research the county’s legal ability to donate and determine which groups could rightfully collect donations.
Watts did not say what groups were on the list nor how much spending they accounted for.
But groups that don’t meet the legal donation requirements will be eliminated from funding, Watts said.
Watts also said requests for pay raises and requests for travel expenses will be considered last in the budget meetings.
And if all the budget cutting seems drastic, Watts said he’s working on a personal goal.
“I’d literally like to try to lower taxes this year,” he said.
Comments
Posted by acedog (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i just hope thry realized that the cost of living have went up a lot this past year, and all county employees need a pay raised. if its nothing more then a cost of living raised.i don't see how you can cut taxes and take care of your county employees.
Posted by itsmemame (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
So what groups receive " annual appropriations, basically donations" from the county? I would like to know where and to whom my tax dollars go.
Posted by NtzRiver (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What I don't understand, how does the cost of living is so much higher in a town with no jobs?? No wonder everyone is broke. Seems like our elected officials need a lesson in Economics 101 and maybe 102.
Posted by KindredSpirit (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NtzRiver,
The cost of living is higher because factors such as fuel prices have risen dramatically in the last year. Higher fuel costs effect all goods and services and in all towns no matter what their employment rate is, so perhaps its not the officials who need the lesson..
Go Natchez!
Posted by NatchezEnema (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I say cut some of the county and city employees. They need a raise? Yeah, about like this town needs more mosquitos. Start with the road crews. They are lazy, get 5 good ones to replace 10 lazy ones.You will get the same or more work. Go to the office where you get car your tags, thats an arrogant bunch. thats a lazy bunch also. Keep county cars for work travel not personal travel. Cut them off when not in use not sitting there with the ac on running with nobody in them. And the next time I see a county car going down the road on a Saturday evening with the family dog hanging its head out the window ( you know who you are) I am going to go postal! If the democrat wants to help this county and city cut the budget. Get your cameras out and ride around and take pictures of the county and city cars at the schools, walmart,movies and such and call out these free loaders of the tax payers money. They want to cut the budget and waste, all they have to do is look in the mirror not at the tax payers. They will count their eggs before they hatch all the time when they start saying what they will get next year in tax dollars because of this or that. Thats what they said last year and look at them now. The real story here is our leaders can't control spending or balance the budget, or fix the streets, work hard like we have to, and don't get me started on that cart in front of the horse tourism tax committee that can't get their s - - t togeather. Lazy, wasteful, care less about their job tax money ticks. All city and county employees need a reality check. The tax payers in this town have enough black eyes. If each county and city car wastes 3 gallons of gas a day doing nothing, imagine what that costs the tax payer. I would like to find out the number of these cars on the road every day in this city, I bet there is not one city or county official that could tell you.
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 12:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Stop the school bussing!!!! Return to neighborhood schooling and you would have that $622,000 in your hand next year. AND A BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM!!!!!!
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 12:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Acedog, why is it so much more important for the county workers to get a raise than anyone else? Everyone is in the same boat as far as living expenses. I get a $3 raise every year. My rent goes up $2. A whole dollar left after my so called raise. LA-DE-DA.
Posted by acedog (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 1:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
destiny its important for everyone to get a raised but, unlike most jobs the supervisors have to vote and decide to give county employees raises just like the aldermen vote to give city employees raises. i just hope all of them do the right thing.
Posted by scarlettohara (anonymous) on August 9, 2008 at 7:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NatchezEnema,
I agree about the abuse of the vehicles. What's even more infuriating to me is the fact that I've seen one particular county employeee park in the handicapped space of the Post Office not one but TWO times...while driving a county owned car. What a blend of arrogance and laziness.
I should have said something to him, and kick myself now for not having done so. You can rest assured that if there is a third occurence, I will. And, I will get his name.
Posted by NtzRiver (anonymous) on August 10, 2008 at 12:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The cost of living is higher because factors such as fuel prices have risen dramatically in the last year. Higher fuel costs effect all goods and services and in all towns no matter what their employment rate is, so perhaps its not the officials who need the lesson..
Fuel has nothing to do with it. You can goto Brookhaven on 84 Cheveron and get cheaper gas even in Hattiesburg where their or more jobs. Its cheaper to live in Jackson and Hattiesburg b/c they did their homework. Our leaders need to spend a few days on learning how a city can grow.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on August 11, 2008 at 3:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why don't Mayor and the Supervisors take the lead and vote themselves a 10% salary CUT?
Posted by jack (anonymous) on August 11, 2008 at 5:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have been told the county employees have been told about use of county vehicles. You still do not know sometimes what they are doing when you see them at places like walmart or the mall. Sometimes they are on business and could be picking up things for the jail or kitchen. I am not taaking up for any sheriff employee, but I do know it is wrong like taking kids to school in a county car. Sometimes these men have to take the cars to places like these on business and places like ball games or churces as they are working security. yes even in churches, I know the First Baptist Church requested law officers to attend in a vehicle to help them feel safe after some churches have had shootings and even robberies. I guess this does help out and after all they do pay taxes and the people that attend do. These deputies are never off as we all know and again I am not against them, I called the sheriff and was told that his office has made some changes and is very much aware of the public and price of gas. Really the only real misuse I see is taking kids to school and shopping. The sheriff said sometimes you see a deputy in a car not in uniform and we might not know the whole story. Sometimes these men are going to a school, the shooting range have been called in to work doing some type emergency like problems at the jail or they were called out from home to go to some type emergency. These men are all professionals and I would say that they will do better on saving the tax payers gas. Thank you law officers for what you do putting your life on the line for us even if some of us bitch about it.
Posted by jack (anonymous) on August 11, 2008 at 5:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
THANK YOU SHERIFF OFFICE FOR AT LEAST ADDRESSING THE ISSUE OF GASOLINE AND I AM GLAD I AM NOT IN ANY OF THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS IN TRYING TO STAY WITHIN A BUDGET IN THE DAY AND TIME . HARD TO DO IT WITH PRICES CHANGING SO MUCH. GOOD LUCK
Posted by andy (anonymous) on August 11, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
yes jack i do not think these county employees in adams county or Natchez city employees are stupid and will make the changes needed. in Fayette, we hae a different problem, called ignorance they never learn and never will until some of them go to jail some have so it is hope
Posted by natchez500 (anonymous) on August 11, 2008 at 5:55 p.m. (Suggest removal)
news flash I heard Judge Vess is in trouble again This time with the black people for some remarks he made.. Judicial Review has suspended him and he is appealing. ND now do your job tell us the story WILL HE EVER LEARN
Posted by andy (anonymous) on August 12, 2008 at 4:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
in trouble for what this is about his 4th time wonder how he can stay a judge
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