An anticipated revenue shortfall has reached the Lincoln CountySchool District and soon could be affecting taxpayers.

In their regularly-scheduled meeting Monday, school boardmembers approved a resolution declaring a shortfall of about$127,000 in local revenue. Those funds may be made up through anincrease in the local tax levy.

“We have the right to borrow the money on a three-year note andask the taxing authority to levy the millage to cover the note,”Superintendent of Education Perry Miller explained to theboard.

The school district began advertising Sunday that it plans toincrease the ad valorem tax millage rate by 2.78 mills from 42.38mills to 45.16 mills.

Mills are used in conjunction with property values to determinehow much people pay in property taxes. An increase will affect thead valorem taxes on homes, automobile tags, utilities, businessfixtures and equipment and rental real property.

Miller explained that the increased millage proposal wasnecessary since the district did not get the amount it asked forlast year when trying to balance the budget.

“Actually, we’re not asking for a tax increase for next year,”he said. “Since they undertaxed last year, this will make up forthat.”

A public hearing is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., June 17, at thedistrict’s central office for discussion on the proposed budget forthe fiscal year 2003 for the district. The proposed ad valorem taxeffort increase will also be considered during the meeting.

Any citizen of the school district will be allowed to speak fora reasonable amount of time and offer tangible evidence before anyvote is taken by the board.

In other matters Monday, the board decided after an executivesession to hire an attorney for a potential litigation matter. Theboard was not able to offer any additional information, other thanthere was only a “potential” need for a lawyer.

Also, board members gave permission for the district to purchasefour new buses during the next year in order to stay with theirplans to buy new buses every year. The district has purchased twobuses each year for the past two years.

“We’ve got the money. It’s in the budget,” said Miller.

In personnel matters, the board approved the hiring of SidneyWheatley as head football coach at Loyd Star. Wheatley served asassistant coach last year. He will be joined by Eddie Britt, a LoydStar native and Wesson graduate, who will take over the assistantfootball coach position after the resignation of Bradley Crowe.

Prior to the meeting, three board members and Miller toured thedistrict’s bus shop and alternative school facilities as part oftheir annual tours. They also looked at whether it would befeasible to move the bus shop to Eva Harris, since only part ofthat campus is used.

“We were looking to the future at what will make our districtmore organized and efficient,” Miller said about the tour.