[7/27/04]Warren County’s new budget may contain $40,000 not $400,000 for the Vicksburg Warren County Community Alliance, supervisors informally agreed Monday.

A delegation from the promotional group met with the county governing board last week and again on Monday, citing a state law that says a county may spend up to 1 mill of its revenue “for the purpose of advertising and bringing into favorable notice the opportunities, possibilities and resources of such municipality or county.” The Alliance asked for that amount, which would be $400,000 in Warren County, to be set aside to support its work.

The group’s brief budget and proposal said it expected a similar reserve to be created by the City of Vicksburg. Both boards spend most of August preparing budgets and tax levies for new spending years that start Oct. 1.

In discussions after the Alliance delegation left Monday, supervisors talked about allocating $40,000 to the group. “I could vote for a tenth of a mill,” said District 1 Supervisor David McDonald.

Also, instead of raising the money from higher tax rates, supervisors indicated they would tap the county’s share of revenue taxes collected from casinos. Those taxes raise about $2.3 million per year.

After Thursday’s meeting, District 2 Supervisor Michael Mayfield advised the group more specific proposals were needed.

Thursday, the Alliance delegation repeated the request for funds and that it did not want to be perceived as a threat to any of the funding given by supervisors to any other group or agency.

“My intent would be to help,” said H.N. “Hal” Gage, vice chairman of the board of trustees.

A problem in the past, said Margaret Gilmer, an Alliance trustee, is that no single organization has had the money to advertise effectively.

The Alliance representatives reiterated that whatever money supervisors set aside would remain under the control of the county board and would be spent only as supervisors approved.

The Alliance group left supervisors with a short list of things on which they could spend the money if the county sets it aside. One item was $100,000 to compile marketing demographics and presentation materials. Another was $50,000 to install five kiosks around the community with computerized visitor and tourist information.

The statute cited specifies the 1-mill amount as a limitation on spending and does not mention imposing a special 1-mill tax for advertising. It says cities may spend up to 1 mill, too, and another section specifies the money go to “newspaper and magazine advertising and literature, publicity, expositions, public entertainment or other form of advertising or publicity, which in the judgment of such board or boards will be helpful toward advancing the moral, financial and other interests of such municipality or county.”