KOSCIUSKO —
Good news followed Friday's, June 20, Durant Public School budget hearing amid a meager public turnout regarding one of the town's most pressing issues.
The 2012-2013 school budget will not consent to levying a tax increase to property owners in Durant.
"There will be a reduction in your tax levies this year," according Smith Sparks, who led the budget presentation and is retired from the Mississippi State Department of Education after 22 years.
"Because the mills were set a little bit too high last year, there was excess money produced by the levy last year."
"We are reducing our request this year by the excess amount that was generated last year, " Sparks continued.
"In previous years our millage has not produced enough and the boards have declared a shortfall," said Sparks. "One of those shortfalls is paying off and we won't need any additional tax levies to pay off a shortfall debt of the district."
The district's total revenue is only $4,249,017, of which only $504,447 comes from local taxes.
Expenditures amounted to $4,456,062.35 with about 72 percent or $3,208,369.00 going towards salaries and fringe benefits.
A notice is run in local newspapers, by law, announcing a proposed "Tax Effort." Local school officials have no control over the language of the notice stating "proposed increase" whether or not a tax increase actually happens.
The levy is also determined by the City of Durant's assessed value which is down, noted by Mayor Robert Johnson during the presentation.
Local News
School budget: No increase for City of Durant taxpayers
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