Lafayette County Approves Budget With No Raise in Taxes

Lafayette County residents will not see a rise in their property taxes next year.

On Tuesday, the Lafayette County Board of Supervisors approved the 2021 fiscal year budget.

The budget includes $31.5 million in revenues from property taxes and $8,656,281 will go to the county school district, which is raised through a separate 69.37 millage.

The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30.

There were no comments made from the board or the public before the supervisors voted unanimously to approve the budget Tuesday morning.

The county’s millage rate, 36.98, is not going up this year. It has remained the same since it was raised from 35.76 in 2017 to 36.98 in 2018.

The budget also includes a $100 a month raise for all full-time employees.

Most of the county’s revenue, 60.3% comes from ad valorem taxes. About 18.6% comes from fines, license and other revenues, about 11.1% comes from charges for services like solid waste, and about 9.6% comes from the state and .02% comes from federal grants.

Public safety takes up a majority of expenses with 35% devoted to protecting the county and includes the sheriff’s and fire departments, while 31% of the budget is spent on Public Works, which includes roads and solid waste. About 18% is for county government services, 2% is used for capital projects and 5% is used for the courts.

Debt service takes up 5% and 4% goes to health, welfare and economic development.