Budget for industrial park, EMCC

Supervisors finalized the Oktibbeha County, Miss., $56.46 million FY 2018 budget Sept. 12 that carries a 1.83-mill tax increase (or $18.30) for property owners in outlying areas who do not live within the municipalities of Starkville, Sturgis or Maben. They will be paying at a rate of 123.57 in ad valorem taxes – up from FY 2017’s rate of 121.74 mills. Residents living with those towns will be paying at a 120.91-mill level. Nearly $21M of the country’s $56.46M budget is for bond-funded capital improvements, including $7M for the Golden Triangle Development LINK-backed industrial park, and a $14.5M infrastructure improvement package -- will be serviced by 5.15 combined mills. A new addition to the budget includes a 0.48-mill levy to fund a portion of East Mississippi Community College's Communiversity project in Lowndes County. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 09/13/17) Work on the East Mississippi Community College's "Communiversity" should begin this fall. Bid advertisements went out Sept. 1. The Communiversity will host manufacturing and technical training-based programs at a 30-acre site in Lowndes County. EMCC offers course work in engineering, physics, and polymer science. In addition to general workforce training, area industries will use bays at the site to train employees on their own equipment. The project should take about two years to construct. EMCC hopes to have it open by fall 2018. The Sept. 1 bids are to be opened Oct. 6.