By Bob Arnold
Wesson Aldermen have adopted a 2023-2024 budget with revenues up 22.20 percent and expenditures up 17.45 that requires no tax rate increases.
For the fiscal year, the Town is projecting total expenses of $1,345.211 with revenues of $1,431,757 compared FY 2023’s revenues of $1,170,757 and expenses of $1,145261.
A whopping 37.5 percent increase in revenues from sales taxes to $220,000, and $100,000 budgeted for general government and water-sewer revenues from the Mississippi Use Tax helped the Aldermen maintain the Town’s millage rate tax levy at 35.53.
The Town's budget encompasses revenues that pay for general government expenses, the police and street departments, Old School Community Center and public library; and revenues and expenses for the fire and water/sewer departments, and water meters.
Revenues anticipated for the General Fund will climb by almost 19 percent to $730,600 during the fiscal year to support:
General government expenditures budgeted at $242,650 primarily reflecting increases in personnel costs – salary expenses ($75,000 to $80,000), retirement expenses ($12,000 to $18,400) and health insurance expenses ($7,000 to $15,000) – and an 11-fold increase in building insurance costs to $14,000.
Wesson Police Department (WPD) salaries up to $235,000 from $200,000 and retirement expenses up to $44,650 from $28,000 that help account for a projected 19.7 increase in forecasted WPD expenditures to $361,750.
A 9.2 percent increase in projected street department expenses to $91,050, including double the expenditures on gas and oil to $4,000.
Old School Community Center and library expenditures are expected to maintain FY 2023 levels at $20,200 and $12,460 respectively. Again in FY 2024, the Town is not budgeting for Old School rental income.
With an anticipated 14.25 percent increase in Wesson Volunteer Fire Department (WVFD) expenses to $28,450 and only a 3.17 percent increase in its revenues to $32,532, WVFD’s budgeted balance is expected to decline from $6,632 to $4,082. The Department is expected to see expenses increase for uniforms ($3,000 to $5,000) and utilities ($3,250 to $4,000).
A projected 15 percent increase in water-sewer expenses to $583,651 should be more than covered by a 28 percent revenue increase to $661,600 paced by hikes in metered sales to customers, garbage pickup fees and sewer charges to customers, and the Mississippi Use Tax.
Water meter revenues and expenses are again budgeted at $7,025 and $5,000 respectively.