Three city aldermen said they will not be accepting the pay raise included in the upcoming budget proposal.
It was reported to The Yazoo Herald that the aldermen are projected to restore a three percent cut made in 2017 back into their salaries, putting their salaries back at $26,175.
But Aldermen Andre Lloyd, Sir Johnathan Rucker and Aubry Brent Jr. said they will not be seeing a pay raise in the upcoming budget. Lloyd said Alderman Ron Johnson will be the only alderman making $26,175 a year, pending the budget approval.
Both Lloyd, a former police chief, and Brent, a former educator, are already receiving their state retirements.
“Our salaries will cap off at $11,000 a year,” Lloyd said. “That will equal over $100,000 in savings over a four-year term.”
Alderman Sir Johnathan Rucker said he opposed the budget proposal, adding that he will be declining the raise to his salary.
Rucker also added that he was unaware of the potential millage increase until he read the article in The Yazoo Herald.
Based on the recent budget proposal, the city of Yazoo City will increase its taxes by three mills pending a public hearing on Aug. 22.
For the next fiscal year, the city of Yazoo City plans to increase its tax millage from 82.37 to 85.55. The increase in millage will fund the new bond issuance for improvements, mainly street projects, around the city.
The proposed budget does not include a pay raise for city workers. But an increase in salaries for the police chief, the fire chief, the public works director and the city clerk are included in the budget proposal.
The mayor’s salary will not increase, remaining the same from the last fiscal year.
