Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen meeting recap
By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman-at-Large
After approving the consent agenda, The Board of Aldermen heard a report from Clinton Public School District Superintendent Dr. Andy Schoggin and Mrs. Libby Callegan. Dr. Schoggen reported that the school year had begun well and announced that there was no need for a tax increase for the school district this year. The Board then approved a resolution fixing the Ad Valorem Tax Levy on real and personal property for the Clinton Public School District for budget year 2024-25.
The Board of Aldermen then went into a public hearing to discuss the 2024-25 proposed budgets and the 2024-25 tax levy for the City. Mayor Fisher indicated that there would be no millage increase and that it would remain at 41.49 mills. It has remained the same since 2014.
The proposed budget includes a three percent pay raise for general employees, funds the mandated increase in employer contributions to PERS and maintains the street paving budget of $1.3 million. A new full time assistant position is proposed for the Visitor’s Center. Since salaries for the Mayor and Board of Aldermen have not increased since 2016, the Board voted to increase the Mayor’s salary from $80,000 to $100,000 and the Aldermen’s salaries from $15,000 to $20, 0000 per year, beginning with the incoming Mayor and Boad of Aldermen. Police base salaries will increase to $50,000, and fire base starting salaries will increase to between $37,000 and $41,000.
To accomplish these increases, the Board of Aldermen froze three vacant police and three vacant fire positions, moved the Visitor’s Center back to the Tourism Fund and covered one-time expense projects with proceeds from the bond.
One-time projects include the roof replacement at the Wood Center, the door repair project at the Quisenberry Library, roof repairs to Fire Station #3 and exterior repairs to the Highway 89 Annex Building.
During the Public comment period, Kelly White, a wife and a mother of Clinton firefighters, expressed concerns about the disparity between police and fire raises and the possibility that the Xity may lose firemen, who can make more in surrounding areas. The Board also approved a resolution fixing the ad valorem tax levy on real and personal property for the City for the budget year.
Major bond projects include the Traceway Sports Lighting Project, which will be the largest sports lighting project ever in the State of Mississippi; the Parkway Lighting Project, which will include seventy-seven new lights, and the purchase of streetlights from Entergy. This purchase will save $58,300 annually in rental costs.
The Board of Aldermen also approved the proposal from PATH for professional work related to the 2024 Bond Lighting Project. The Board also approved a declaration of certain City vehicles as surplus and approved a conditional use for a short-term rental at 205 West Leake Street owned by Dean Farrar.
A request for rezoning from R-1 (Single Family Residential) to MU (Mixed Use) on Clinton Parkway Parcels was removed from the agenda at the request of the developer, Kirkland Development. A renewal of resolution for unkempt property at 0 Larado Drive was approved.
In a closed-door executive session, the Board of Aldermen approved a firing of a City of Clinton employee.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Space will be provided in each issue of The Clinton Courier to the Board of Aldermen for a recap of each meeting. Aldermen are asked to volunteer to provide this recap for the Courier.
