Ridgeland employees to receive $7K pay raises

RIDGELAND — City employees will receive a $7,000 across-the-board raise next year as officials on Tuesday approved the 36th straight budget without raising taxes.

Mayor Gene F. McGee said the Fiscal Year 2025 budget includes the $7,000 raise for all city employees. He said the position of Mayor and the aldermen are not included in the raise.

Aldermen unanimously approved the budget at their meeting on Sept. 3. This marks the thirty-sixth year the city board has approved a budget without raising taxes.

McGee said the budget includes $35,944,794 in expenses and is in good shape.

“I think our department heads have done a good job of getting this budget where it needs to be,” McGee said.

City Clerk Paula Tierce said at a public hearing held last month that based on a conservative revenue forecast, the city expects to bring in $32,822,917. She said the proposed end-of-year balance for the general fund will be $25,648,752, which is 71 percent of estimated expenditures.

Millage will once again be set at 11.27 for the general fund and 8.76 for the debt service fund for a total of 20.03 mills.

McGee said the budget shows that the city and the aldermen are “not overspending.” McGee said financial responsibility has been a key reason the city maintains such a good bond rating.

McGee said specific projects in this budget included street overlays and several ongoing water and sewer projects.

The budget was presented at a public hearing at City Hall during the regularly scheduled Board of Aldermen meeting on August 20. No members of the public spoke at the meeting.