The Yazoo City Municipal School District is requesting about $87,000 in additional funds this year from the city of Yazoo City. Mayor Diane Delaware said the four percent increase could potentially raise taxes by almost two mills.
As the city of Yazoo City continues to prepare its upcoming fiscal year budget, the local school district announced its financial request during Monday’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen meeting. Prior to the request, Delaware said that she hoped organizations would not ask for a millage increase in the hopes of maintaining a leveled budget.
“I am hoping we don’t see any increase in millage from any of these organization because I too believe we do not need at this moment more money,” Delaware said. “We keep giving more money but what we need is more performance and more attention to details. While some organizations have the option and opportunity to increase millage on their own and we can’t have a say in it, we certainly would want to know what this millage increase is going to deliver in any of these organizations.”
Dana Brown, financial officer with the city school district, said the district will be requesting $87,231, a four percent increase. She said the increase is the needed amount for district maintenance operations.
“Some facilities are old, and we will need additional roofing,” Brown said. “We will need to secure these facilities well because we too have breaks-in…we have to ensure we have security for our students and for the employees as well.”
Brown said trailers were also purchased and prepared for McCoy Elementary School.
Brown said a school district can request a four to seven percent increase in funding. She said the local district’s request is “the minimum.”
“State law requires for us to ask for a four percent increase,” she said. “According to the law, it is between four and seven percent.”
Delaware said she wasn’t sure if that was state law or not.
“I don’t think you have to,” she said. “I think you can but not have to.”
Alderman Aubry Brent Jr. said, in the past, the district would not ask for an increase because the city was providing free utilities to the district.
Dr. Georgia Ingram, school superintendent, said the state also reduced its funding to the local district by $163,000.
“One of the reasons we are asking for the money is to offset that $165,000 that we already know will be decreased by the state,” she said. “We are from Yazoo City, and we live in Yazoo City. We are not going to push you to a point.”
