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TOP STORIES FOR
WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2004
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School District Property Tax Rate Stable for Now |
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Salary equity and funding are among issues McKenzie
Special School District Superintendent James Ward
stated must be addressed over the next few years,
bringing into question whether the coming fiscal year
will be the last in which school district property
taxes remain at the current rate of $1.53.
The tax rate remains stable for the 2004-2005 fiscal
year, following action by the McKenzie Board of
Education Tuesday, June 29, to adopt the current rate,
of which 87 cents is earmarked as general purpose
funds and 66 cents goes toward reducing debt. Also
passed was the $1,752,980 2004-2005 fiscal year budget
supported by the taxes.
"The greatest thing I can say is it's a balanced
budget, we didn't reduce staff or delete programs,
certified and non-certified personnel received
significant raises that meet inflation--I think it
will serve us well and the interests of the
stakeholders were met in that we didn't have a tax
increase," said Superintendent James Ward.
Concerning the tax rate, however, Ward remarked, "It's
served us well through this year and I'll end right
there."
In response to board member Van Ramsey's question as
to McKenzie's ranking among school districts in the
county, Ward referred to a chart published in the June
16 edition of The McKenzie Banner in which MSSD's tax
rate was next to lowest among local school districts.
Lowest in the county was Clarksburg (South Carroll) at
$1.41, followed by McKenzie at $1.53. Huntingdon's
rate was $1.65; West Carroll's $1.81, and Hollow
Rock-Bruceton ranked highest at $1.99.
Minimum teacher salaries are mandated by the state
according to a salary schedule based on salary
averages from 14 southeastern states including
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West
Virginia.
"That changes every year," said MSSD Financial
Director Dana Deem, outside the meeting, indicating it
would be "more and more difficult" to fund teacher
salaries in the face of stagnant or declining numbers
of students.
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Union Planters Merges with Regions Financial |
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By Linda Bolton
linda@mckenziebanner.com |
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Union Planters Corp. of Memphis completed a
multibillion-dollar merger on July 1 with Regions
Financial Corp. of Birmingham. The merge includes
Union Planters Banks in McKenzie and Huntingdon;
however local customers won't see any immediate
change.
"There will be no immediate changes in the signs or
anything," said Linda Childs, Chief Communications
Officers for Region Financial. "People will continue
to use their Union Planters checks, debit cards,
credit cards and ATM cards."
She also noted that Union Planters customers can now
use their ATM cards in Regions ATM machines without
charge.
She also noted that no personnel changes are expected
at the local level. Rena Barker serves as manager of
Union Planters in McKenzie and Brian Grooms is manager
of the Huntingdon branch.
New signs reflecting the name change will likely be
installed at area branch banks sometime in 2005, said
Ms. Childs.
Regions Financial has more than $80 billion in assets
and a market capitalization of approximately $14
billion.
With the merger, Regions can now claim about 5 million
customers. All have immediate access to a 1,700-ATM
network. Early next year, Regions will begin
converting major Union Planters operating systems.
"This is a good thing for Union Planters and for
Regions," said Ms. Childs. "This brings two very
strong banks together for 139 years in banking.
She noted the merger has created a new regional force
in banking and financial service - one that draws on
the strength of long traditions of community focus and
customer service for the benefit of Regions
shareholders, customers and associates.
Accounts held by Union Planters' former investment
division will be transferred to new accounts set up at
Morgan Keegan & Company Inc., Regions' investment and
securities brokerage, trust and asset management
division. Clients will receive a final statement in
August recapping July activity, and a new Morgan
Keegan statement in early September.
Regions has asked all of Union Planters' investment
executives to join Morgan Keegan and to continue to
work with their existing clients. The trust operations
of the new company, which reaches across 15 states in
the South, Midwest and Texas, are now operating under
the shared trade name Regions Morgan Keegan Trust.
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McKenzie Celebrates Fourth with Fireworks, Food,
Fellowship |
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By Jim Steele
steele@mckenziebanner.com |
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When Thomas Jefferson left the presidency, he was
asked how Americans should celebrate the anniversary of
the United States' independence.He said, quite
simply, "Just go out and have a good time."
Saturday night, McKenzie opened its city park for
that very reason. McKenzie held its Fourth of July
celebration on July 3 with music, holiday picnic fare
and fireworks.
Bob Ryan, who is from one of the cradles of our
democractic republic, Boston, was in town for his
father-in-law's 50-year class reunion. He decided to
take in the festivities.
He liked what he saw.
"This is America," he said. "We don't have anything
like this in my community."
Ryan said that Boston is often brimming with activity
on July 4, but there is nothing quite like the warmth
and southern gentility a rural setting provides.
"This is a great place for a family celebration and I
love the ballparks here," said Ryan. "The people here
are friendly and operate at a different pace. People are
warmer down south. I love this."
Ryan and his wife Liz played goalkeeper as their
kids, Nicole and Joseph, became better acquainted with
the ducks in the pond.
The local band Cruise Control entertained audiences
early at the McKenzie Park Pavilion, playing party tunes
like "Louie Louie" and "Wild Thing" in addition to other
popular rock, folk and country tunes.
Alan Cross directed the Bethel Chorus as they
presented a litany of patriotic anthems.
At 9:10, the first series of fireworks were launched
and continued until nearly 10 p.m.
McKenzie mayor Walter Winchester said he is pleased
with the festival and hopes to build on it next year. He
did express disappointment in the fact that there were
no contestants in the barbecue cook-off.
"That was the one thing that didn't go well at all,"
he said.
But that didn't dampen his spirits. In fact, Winchester
said he thinks the new accesses to the park and the
viability College Drive and Liberty Road have made the
celebration easier to attend.
"A lot of people park on Highway 22 and College Drive
to watch the fireworks," the mayor said. "We put a
temporary parking lot behind the Babe Ruth park and
people are utilizing that."
It was estimated that 1,500 citizens took part in the
festivities. Winchester said that kind of participation
means there is a lot of preparation.
"The park guys did a good job getting everything
ready," he said. "They really put in an extra effort." |
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Budget, Tax Rate, Coroner's Pay on Agenda |
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By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
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Taxes, donations, expenditures, and a much-discussed
raise for the county coroner headline the July 12 agenda
of the Carroll County Commission. Commissioners are
expected to hold the county tax rate at $1.06 per $100
assessed value on real property while approving a $17.28
million budget.
After weeks of wrangling over the coroner's
compensation, a resolution will be presented to pay
coroner Steve Cantrell $12,000 annually plus a $1,600
annual expense account to cover mileage and photography
supplies. Prior to May, 2004, Cantrell was paid $2,400
annually, $1,200 for expenses, and the county paid 75
percent of his personal major medical insurance, an
amount equaling $3,444 annually. Commissioners learned
that Cantrell was the lone part-time employee receiving
insurance co-pay, so in June, Budget Committee members
cancelled his insurance and increased his pay by $150
monthly. Commissioner Virgil Coleman convened the
Personnel Committee, who differed with the Budget
Committee's proposal and approved the above-mentioned
resolution for the full commission.
A tax rate of $1.06 per $100 assessed value is composed
of: 65 cents for General Fund; 8 cents for Solid Waste
and Sanitation; 9 cents for Highway/Public Works; 7
cents for General Debt Service; and 17 cents for School
Transportation.
Budget figures include $22,200 in donations to
non-profit entities with allocations as follows: Rescue
Squad $6,000; Gordon Browning Museum $4,000; McKenzie
Memorial Library $8,000; Carl Perkins Center for the
Prevention of Child Abuse $1,000; West Tennessee Hearing
and Speech $2,000; McKenzie Senior Citizens Center $200;
Atwood Senior Citizens Center $200; Huntingdon Museum
$400; and Carroll County Museum $400. |
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These stories and more exclusively
in the print edition: |
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- Bethel Hosts on of Three TTI Camps in State
- Local, State, Federal Seats on August 5 Ballot
- Fewer Persons Unemployed than This Time Last Year
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Phone (731) 352-3323 or Fax (731)
352-3322
washburn@mckenziebanner.com
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