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Florence board adopts 31.2‑mill tax levy, authorizes Hwy. 49 sewer design and routine expenditures
Summary
At its Sept. 2 meeting the Florence mayor and board adopted a 31.2‑mill tax levy for fiscal year 2026, authorized engineering design work on the Hwy. 49 sewer project, agreed to update the hazard mitigation plan with CMPDD and approved routine payments including a police vehicle repair and youth‑football referee fees.
The Florence mayor and board on Sept. 2 adopted a general fund tax levy of 31.2 mills for fiscal year Oct. 1, 2025–Sept. 30, 2026, and approved several routine administrative and capital‑planning actions.
The tax‑levy resolution, which the board said allocates 14.28% of the levy for debt service, passed on a roll‑call vote with Aldermen John Banks, Brian Grantham, Mason Herrin, Kyle Martin and Brent Sistrunk recorded as voting aye. The action implements the property tax rate for the coming fiscal year; the board held a public hearing on the overall proposed budget and tax levies but closed the hearing after no members of the public spoke.
On infrastructure planning, the board authorized City Engineer Tim Parker to begin the design phase for the Hwy. 49 sewer project. The authorization was made by unanimous motion; the board recorded a second, nearly identical motion later in the meeting reaffirming direction for Engineering Service to begin design work on the Hwy. 49 North sewer project.
The board also approved entering an agreement with the Central Mississippi Planning & Development District (CMPDD) to update Florence’s hazard mitigation plan in accordance with the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000. The board approved the agreement by unanimous vote; no contract value or timeline was specified in the minutes.
Routine operational approvals included ratifying a police department vehicle transmission repair. On Chief Burns’s recommendation the board approved Coleman Taylor Transmission estimate #511678—$5,665.44—to repair a Ford Explorer police vehicle transmission, accepting that vendor as the lower of two quotes (A‑1 Gear & Auto quoted $5,952.80).
Park Director Mark Hester recommended and the board approved payments to the Rankin County Football League for referee fees: $3,142.00 for 2025 tackle football and $1,058.75 for 2025 flag football. Both expenditures carried on unanimous votes.
Other actions on the consent‑style docket included rescinding a previously scheduled public hearing on a variance request for Mid‑South Meter & Regulator (originally set for Sept. 16, 2025), authorizing the mayor to work with Hometown Magazine to develop a promotional brochure for Florence, approving the claims docket and approving the Aug. 19, 2025 minutes. The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
The minutes note that Alderman Mason Herrin briefly left the meeting and was invited to return; the record states he did not participate or deliberate while absent.
