City and county leaders know they may be facing some tough critics this week. Both the board of supervisors and board of aldermen are considering a tax increase — but neither entity can act until residents have a chance to speak at public hearings.

&uot;There’s going to be some disgruntled people and there’s nothing you can do,&uot; said Adams County Supervisor Thomas &uot;Boo&uot; Campbell. &uot;We’ll deal with it when it comes. All we can do is all we can do.&uot;

If the tax passes, county residents — who also saw their ad valorem taxes inch up last year — can expect an increase of about 1.95 mills.

For taxpayers, that means about $19 more on their tax bill for a $100,000 house.

For the county, that means an extra $321,000 in tax revenue for the upcoming fiscal year. The county hopes to collect more than $8 million in ad valorem taxes this year — 53 percent of the county’s total revenue.

The city, meanwhile, is considering a 22 percent increase in ad valorem taxes — the first tax increase in 15 years. With the proposed 7.482 mill increase, the total amount of ad valorem revenue brought in by the city would come to $665,898 a year, said City Clerk Donnie Holloway.

Both county and city residents pay school taxes, and city residents pay county taxes and city taxes.

The calculated cost in planned city and county ad valorem taxes plus school taxes for a $100,000 home would be $1,357.10 — $72.70 more than before the planned increase.

&uot;Both boards are looking at what’s in front of them and how they can deal with it,&uot; said Natchez Mayor F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith.

&uot;Nobody likes to pay taxes,&uot; he said. &uot;What may be forgotten in all this is all seven of us have to pay those taxes too.&uot;

How can residents learn more about the tax increases and the budgets?

City aldermen will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at city council chambers on South Pearl Street. Residents can get an information sheet about the budget from the city clerk’s office at city hall, also on South Pearl Street.

And county supervisors will hold two public hearings on taxes — the first is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the supervisors office on State Street. The county will hold another hearing at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 12. At that meeting, supervisors are expected to adopt the budget.