Members of the Yazoo County Board of Supervisors said they are opposed to any effort by the Yazoo County School District to raise taxes during the upcoming fiscal year.
Board President Cobie Collins said he has been informed that the school district plans to request a millage increase for the upcoming year.
“I am going to ask you all to think about this,” Collins said. “I am going to vote to refuse it.”
But Board Attorney Jay Barbour said the school district has the right to raise the millage up to a certain point without the blessing of the Board of Supervisors.
“We’re sitting here scratching our heads trying not to raise taxes, and the schools are doing this,” Dew said.
“I want the public to know who’s raising taxes,” Collins said.
Dew said she believes the district is spending too much money on administration.
“If it was going toward children or for buildings that would be one thing, but they spent their money on that new administration building that has a lot of expensive things they didn’t need.”
Collins said the Yazoo County Schools administrative facilities are much fancier than those of nearby Madison County, which has a much larger tax base.
“Madison’s offices are in an old school,” Collins said.
District 1 Supervisors Van Foster said the county attempted to give the county school district the former Yazoo Valley Electric Building that now houses the Yazoo County Chamber of Commerce, the Yazoo Workforce Development District and Holmes Community College classes.
“They said it wasn’t up to their standards,” Dew said. “It was good enough for a community college, but it wasn’t good enough for Yazoo County schools.”
Foster said he was told that the schools have increased needs for security and a roof replaced on one building.
“I knew they would have some new needs related to security and protecting the children, and that’s fine,” Dew said. “I can also see spending money for the education of these kids, but don’t ask for more money so you can have more administrative help. That’s not getting back to the kids.”
Collins said the county would like to have more money for things like raises for deputies.
“I would like to be able to put a couple of more deputies on patrol,” Foster said.
“But where would you get the money,” Collins asked.
