The Vicksburg Warren School District School Board approved the 2016-2017 budget at last night’s special-called board meeting in the boardroom of the school district.

The budget accounts for a total revenue of $86.3 million with total expenditures of $83.3 million.

Board member Jim Stirgus was concerned taxes would be raised on citizens and was the only board member to vote against the budget.

“Each year it continues to go up, is what I’m saying so with the track record we have, our track record means that the milage will go up and our taxes will go up and your house payments will go up and your car tags will go up,” Stirgus said.

District finance director Shaquita Burke said a raise in taxes would be based on property values assessed by the county, and the school district itself was not asking for a tax increase. Instead of requesting a certain number of mils from the Warren County Board of Supervisors, she said the district is requesting to receive the same monetary amount the district received last year.

“Historically in the past few years we have asked for an increase, but there were other variables. This year I’m only focusing on where we were, what we got based on an assessment at that time,” she said.

Last year the district requested $30 million and instead received $31.4 million because property was under valued in an assessed valuation, which raised the milage to 53.58 mils because the properties were assessed to have more value.

“Based on the 53.58 millage that was implemented on us last year, this is what that money yields us,” Burke said of the $31.4 million request. “We want the exact same thing that we got from that milage and that’s what we’re asking for.”

Because of the incorrect assessment from last year, this year the milage could technically move up or down based on this year’s assessment to accommodate the $31.4 million request.

“Those assessed values have gone up. The assessed values of the whole county have gone up, and we’re not asking for any more money. Technically the milage could go down,” school board president Bryan Pratt said.

He said even if the milage stays the same, citizens could see a change in their taxes directly related to the property assessment because if a property is worth more, it is taxed more.

“The district’s been taking a lot of heat about us raising taxes, but what people are not understanding is we don’t make the tax determination — that comes from our board of supervisors,” Burke said.

“This year we’re being more cognitive to make sure we’re doing what we need to do to make sure we’re not influencing that at all.”

In other news the board approved the designated grade point average of 2.0 for all students who wish to participate in athletics, cheer, dance or band. The board also approved superintendent Chad Shealy to add another pre-k class to the district and to hire a teacher and teacher’s aid for the class.

The board’s next meeting will be Thursday, Aug. 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the school district boardroom.