Lowndes Co. Supervisors discuss school district’s claimed budget shortfall

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Supervisors in Lowndes County found themselves in a familiar situation, being asked to fund a budget shortfall for the county school district.

The Lowndes County School District has claimed a $1.1 million shortfall in its budget.

The two groups have been at odds over how certain industrial properties should be taxed.

School leaders said properties coming off of fee-in-lieu agreements should be taxed as new. Supervisors disagreed.

A Chancery Court agreed with the School District, but that decision was struck down by the State Supreme Court, which said the Chancery Court didn’t have the jurisdiction to make that ruling.

The question of the tax rate was still unanswered.

The school board requested $29 million in Ad Valorem tax revenue last budget year.

Supervisors did not grant the full request.

“If you look at from FY 17 in Ad Valorem taxes, they had around a $14 million budget that they claimed in Ad Valorem taxes. The past budget request, they requested $29 million, so you can imagine that is a large increase in Ad Valorem taxes they have increased,” said Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston. “Those taxes don’t go to pay the teachers’ salaries and those types of things. That comes from the state. So, the local source income has gone up tremendously, because they’re taxing based upon because the industry is so vibrant here in our community.”

Supervisors said the school district was reporting almost $20 million in the bank.

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