The City of Clarksdale has proposed an $11,195,627 budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year and that is down $180,547 from last year’s budget.
The Board of Mayor and City Council were presented the budget by City Clerk Cathy Clark at their Monday meeting and the budget was also presented to the public for review. The council will vote on it at their next board meeting.
Clark said while proposed budget expenditures are down, revenue is also down and a tax increase from .15473 mills to .15593 in ad valorem or property taxes will also be asked for in the upcoming year.
“On a $50,000 home that will mean an increase from $773 a year in city taxes to $779,” she explained. “A $100,000 home will go from $1,547 to $1,559 or about $11.80.”
Mayor Chuck Espy said the increase then factors out to about a $60 increase for every $50,000 of ad property value. The amount to be raise by the new tax levy will go from $5,397,735 to $5,554,216 or $156,481.
Major increases to the budget are:
• $103,300 for streets or an increase from $703,127 to $806,427.
• $34,656 for the police dept., from $3,338,901 to $3,373,557.
• $25,000 for clean up and demolition or an increase from $10,000 to $35,000.
• $19,228 for the fire department from $2,671,0055 to $2,690,343.
• $17,562 for city clerk and tax collection from $490,392 to $507,854.
• $17,000 for Clarksdale Animal Shelter from $33,000 to $50,000.
• $12,133 for 911 dispatching from $228,962 to $241,075.
• $10,453 for Judical services or an increase from $253,547 to $264,000.
• $10,053 for the Airport board from $85,413 to $95,466.
Major cuts to the budget are:
• $330,625 from street lights from $651,352 to $320,727.
• $129,104 from the Brownfield Grant from $179,104 to $50,000.
• $37,600 from COPS Fast Grant from $82,600 to $45,000.
• $37,166 from the Walton Grant from $87,166 to $50,000.
• $25,687 from Clarksdale Public Utility from $641,147 to $615,460.
• $25,637 from law/legal from $238,045 to 212,408.
• $25,000 from annexation planning from $100,000 to $75,000.
• $20,000 from Coahoma Co. Youth Outreach from $20,000 to $0.
• $14,831 from Legislative-Commissioners from $206,327 to $191,146.
Monday’s meeting also served at the public hearing for the budget.
There was no public comment Monday.
Clark told the Mayor and Councilmen she was available for a detailed description of the budget until the board’s next meeting.
Clarksdale also raise ad valorem millage by .01095 last year from .14378 to .15473.
