NATCHEZ — The Adams County Board of Supervisors had its first public hearing Thursday evening to gauge comment on the 2016 fiscal year budget.

County Administrator Joe Murray said the tax levy the county is seeking, 116.51 mills, is the same as for the 2015 fiscal year. Taxpayers would pay the same rate unless their property has been assessed at a higher value in the last year.

For the 2016 fiscal year, the budget has a projected revenue of $25,584,570. A total of $15,087,775 of those revenues — or 58.96 percent — is expected to come from the county’s levy of ad valorem taxes.

That represents an approximately $2 million increase in ad valorem revenue over the current fiscal year, which has a projected total revenue of $23,848,086, of which $13,707,748 — or 57.48 percent — is generated by ad valorem taxes.

The fiscal year will end Sept. 30.

Murray said the biggest expenditure increases in the projected budget are related to the cost of health care, which will cost the county approximately $285,000 more.

But that increase in cost is actually reflected in the revenues as well, Murray said, with employees kicking in an additional $395,000.

The county is projecting a decline of approximately $70,000 in gaming revenue, and likewise expects a loss of approximately $75,000 in oil and gas severance taxes, he said.

Another big expenditure the county will take on in the 2016 year is the bond payments for capital improvement, Murray said.

The bond included improvements to the sheriff’s office and courthouse roof, repairs to an elevator in the sheriff’s office, re-mortaring of brick at the sheriff’s office and a road project.

The budget also includes 5-percent raises for members of the county road department and a 9-percent raise for Murray, which will bump his pay from $80,000 to $87,500.

Board President Darryl Grennell said the budget also includes funds for the road department to get a small paver.

“That will allow them to do smaller roads instead of paying a contractor a lot of money,” he said. “Being able to do it in-house will save the county money.”

The second public hearing for the budget, after which the board will adopt the tax rates for the coming year, will be 9 a.m., Sept. 15 in the boardroom at the supervisors offices at 314 State St.

In other news:

-The board adopted a resolution in memory of Red Owens, who died Thursday morning.

-The board adopted resolutions recognizing the work of Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputies Walter Mackel and Lance Adams for their work in saving the life of a small child who was struck by a vehicle on State Street earlier this week.

-The board adopted a resolution proclaiming Oct. 23 Dorie Ladner Day.

Ladner was a student organizer who came to Natchez in the 1960s to help organize civil rights efforts. She will be visiting Natchez for the first time since the 1960s the weekend of Oct. 23, and will be part of several events happening at that time.

The resolution was adopted at the request of Friends of the Forks of the Road coordinator Ser Sesh ab Heter C.M. Boxley.