A $28.5 million spending plan unveiled by the City of Vicksburg Thursday night is slightly less than this year’s and shows a dip expected in revenue.

Separately, Warren County supervisors are adopting their operating budget for the new fiscal year Sept. 4, and it is likely to contain $1.54 million in new spending because of across-the-board raises in all 17 county departments.

Both local governing boards indicated they will not lower or raise rates of property taxation.

At the city’s hearing on its plan, Mayor Laurence Leyens said Vicksburg’s financial situation has never looked better and that only two citizens’ attending was a validation of the administration’s stewardship. &#8220I think it’s a vote of confidence that the community supports what we’re doing,” he said.

The city’s budget also comes up for final approval and adoption Sept. 4. While schools start their budget years July 1, the other local taxing entities start on Oct. 1.

City budget decisions were based on estimated revenue of $28.9 million by the end of the 2008 fiscal year.

Projections mulled by county supervisors this week showed a spending plan of $15.2 million based on $13.1 million in revenue.

Even with level rates, the schools, city and county will receive more local property taxes due to higher property values and more property to tax. The schools expect to net $1.2 million more, and the county $571,866 more. The city, which uses county assessments, expects more property tax income, but it will be offset by less casino revenue. A &#8220Katrina bump,” while coast casinos were closed after the 2005 hurricane pushed revenue up about $1 million in 2006.

The city still expects a third of its total revenue from the four operating casinos. The county expects $2.6 million for next year, in line with industry business trends.

In effect, the taxes translate to $538.20 per $100,000 in market value of a home in Warren County outside Vicksburg and $807.30 per $100,000 in market value of a home inside Vicksburg.

District 5 Supervisor Richard George, board president, said supervisors were generally satisfied with how the numbers are shaping up.

&#8220The cost of doing business is certainly no different from the private sector. It’s costly, obviously, but we’re not going beyond our growth,” he said.

Of those attending the city’s session, John Shorter, 103 Starlight Drive, questioned the city’s payment plan on $22.2 million bond obligations running through 2016. The debt includes a $16.9 million bond issue approved Aug. 15 and slated for, among other improvements, repaving along Washington Street and the replacement of the bridge near DiamondJacks Casino. Leyens called the financing plan, which would pay off $3.4 million of the debt next year, realistic and sound.

Margaret Gilmer, manager of Vicksburg Factory Outlets and a candidate for Warren County District 1 supervisor, was the only other resident who attended.

She has done so for the past several years, she said, because she likes to stay informed.

&#8220I’m appalled no one else came,” she said. &#8220It’s kind of disturbing when no one shows up, and you wonder, ‘what’s everybody doing?’”

New expenditures supervisors will sign off on this year include more than $370,000 in improvements to the Warren County Courthouse and the public library.

Funding has been set aside for the 67-year-old courthouse to have its roof replaced, its interior walls and office space painted and its restrooms to be spruced up. The library will receive similar attention, plus new carpeting.

Still being resolved by supervisors is the amount for which they will seek to have state permission to donate to charities. Last year, local and private bills sponsored by both Reps. George Flaggs and Chester Masterson allowed supervisors to give $272,500 to charitable groups, some of which were not in last year’s budget when set last year. The result was a series of new requests this summer.

Budget projections show $615,500 allocated to charitable groups this year, up from $593,500 in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. Many of them would come out of gaming funds, treated by the current board as the source for &#8220one-time” expenditures.