New municipal budget now in place

Welcome to 2017, Fiscal Year 2017, that is.

City departments today began the workweek operating under a new municipal budget, a $59.9 million spending plan that projects the city will end the fiscal year with a $4.06 million financial cushion.

The city’s fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 each year. The city’s new budget was approved last week by the City Council and officially went into effect on Saturday. The budget calls for no increase in city property taxes, and reduces no level of service.

The budget’s three main revenue streams, by the way, are gaming taxes (projected to be $17.5 million), sales taxes ($12 million) and property taxes ($10.5 million).
See the combined funds statement
See the statement of revenues
See the departmental summaries
See the financial section of the city website

 

News and notes

Dredging input: Do you have an opinion on the dredging that the City of Biloxi is proposing to do at many of the neighborhood canals off Back Bay? If so, the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources wants to hear from you. A public meeting will be held this evening at 6 at the DMR office on Bayview Avenue for residents and property owners to make comments. For background on the city’s request and proposed locations, click here.

Gazebo repairs: Construction workers from the city’s Public Works Department have begun a month-long project to repair and replace parts of the concrete foundation of the gazebo at Hiller Park. To see photographs, click here.

City Council meeting: The Biloxi City Council has its first-of-the-month nighttime meeting Tuesday at City Hall. To see the agenda for the 6 p.m. meeting, click here.

Keesler gate closure: The Keesler Air Force Base main gate on White Avenue will be closed Wednesday from 5 to 10 a.m.  to help with the flow of Cruisin’ the Coast traffic.  During that time, the Visitor Control Center, also on White Avenue, will be closed and services will be temporarily relocated to the Pass Road gate and the Meadows Boulevard gate off Forrest Avenue.