Lincoln County supervisors plan to seek a budget for fiscal year2010 identical to the previous year’s spending plan, hoping to makedue in the coming year at consistent funding levels while leavingcounty millage rates untouched.

County Administrator David Fields said supervisors, inpreliminary talks, have directed him to assemble a spending plan ofapproximately $15.2 million by the start of the fiscal year on Oct.1, seeking no more funding and allowing no more spending. Plans arefor the current millage rate to remain at 100.44.

Fields said the only increase in county spending will be $45,000extra directed at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, which has fivepermanent mills that have increased in value this year.

Supervisors are also considering doubling the county’scontribution to King’s Daughters Medical Center from $50,000 to$100,000 to help fund the ambulance service, he said. Additionally,he said millage for the Lincoln County School District wouldincrease by 0.35 mills to 48.07 to pay for the 2002 bond issue, butthe district did not seek additional operating money that wasallotted in fiscal year 2009.

“Everybody is pretty much getting what they got last year,”Fields said. “There’s going to be little immaterial tweaks, but,bottom line, it will be the same as last year.”

The biggest portion of county spending goes to the criminaljustice system, Fields said, which requires around $4.1 million ofthe $6.8 million general fund – or around 60 percent – for theLincoln County Sheriff’s Department, Lincoln County Jail, courtsand other legal functions.

The rest of the money goes into basically unalterable funds, hesaid, and include $3.2 million in special revenue funds dividedamong the Lincoln County Public Library, waste management and 911;$3 million for road and bridge repairs; $1.2 million in trustfunds; and just under $1 million for debt services.

The only real pot of money for supervisors to use at theirdiscretion, Fields said, is the $2.7 million left in the generalfund after paying for the justice system.

“All of those numbers are tentative. We’re going to leave itlike it was and make it work,” Fields said. “But if they’re goingto do that, there’s not going to be any additional money formid-year appropriations. If something big happens, they’re justgoing to have to hold the line because we didn’t create any newfunds.”

District Three Supervisor Nolan Williamson said the fluctuatingprice of fuel and equipment costs could impact the budget, but theboard has decided to “buckle up” with the same $15.2 million.

“People can’t stand no more taxes right now,” he said. “Notsaying we don’t need it, but they just can’t stand it. We’re justgoing to have to make do with what we’ve got.”

As the budget deadline nears, supervisors have been receivingrequests from local and area agencies that depend on governmentappropriations.

Fields said, however, new requests will likely be denied thisyear. The county intends to continue supporting 14 outside agencieswith around $80,000.

Although property values countywide increased in 2008, Fieldssaid there are no plans to lower the current millage rates. He saidthe net effect of the increased values on the county was onlyaround $3 million, and $11.6 million of personal property is exemptthis year.

Lincoln County Tax Assessor/Collector Nancy Jordan said thecounty also lost around $7 million in car tag sales and a further$7 million when the state readjusted agricultural use value.

Lincoln County Chancery Clerk Tillmon Bishop said that even withthe most well-planned budget, the county will not be totally sureof its income.

“Frankly, there’s people who don’t pay their taxes, andhopefully on the other side there’s growth,” he said. “We’re comingup on Aug. 27 (the date of the annual land sale), and I’ve stillgot 150-200 properties the taxes haven’t been paid on, and that’sfrom 2006. That could have been used for the ’06 budget, and that’snot even counting ’07 and ’08.”