NATCHEZ — The time of year looms when many residents ask the question, “Will my taxes go up this year?”

Based on statements from city and county officials, the answer is likely: yes, but not by much.

Following last month’s reassessment of all real and personal property in Adams County, Adams County Tax Assessor Reynolds Atkins said the average resident would see a slight increase on this year’s bill.

Atkins said the reason for an approximately $25 hike on average per year relates to compliance with Mississippi Department of Revenue standards.

Atkins said the state recommends that all properties should be assessed at 80 percent of their true value. Atkins also said the Department of Revenue conducted studies of the Adams County Tax Assessor’s office and found values of the properties to be below that 80 percent figure.

“A lot of people were way under what they were supposed to be,” Atkins said.

Atkins said his own taxes increased due to the appreciated assessments.

The state mandates that counties conduct reappraisals every four years, and 2017 was the reappraisal year for Adams County, Atkins said, leading to an approximately $29 million increase in property assessments last month.

But Atkins said the overall large increase in assessments from 2016 to 2017 — approximately $21.6 million in personal property and $7.7 million in real property — was caused mainly by the addition to the tax rolls of Von Drehle and a new, multi-million dollar house constructed in North Adams County.

Concerning the additions to the tax rolls, Atkins said Von Drehle and the house contributed to a “huge” portion of the increases in total personal and real property assessments. Atkins said the house has an approximately $7-million value. Von Drehle contributed to approximately $20 million of the increase by virtue of the county’s fee-in-lieu tax incentive agreement with the company.

These additional properties — along with others, including housing development at Beau Pré Country Club — will bring in approximately $600,000 for the county compared to last year, Adams County Administrator Joe Murray said.

The properties will also bring in additional money for the city, though city clerk Megan Edmonds said she still has to calculate the exact amount.

These additional funds leave a decision for officials: either keep those funds within the municipality or lower millage rates and return some of that money to taxpayers.

The millage rates have not been set for this coming fiscal year.

A month ago, Atkins urged the supervisors not to raise the county’s millage rate following assessments. At that time, Adams County Supervisors President Mike Lazarus agreed the county did not need to raise the millage.

While Lazarus said he “would love to lower millage rates,” he said the supervisors need to work through their budgeting process before crossing that bridge.

“I can’t guarantee lower millage rates, but I can guarantee we won’t increase millage rates,” Lazarus said.

“We have to be realistic. Everything gets more and more expensive every year, and we’ve got to scrape by with what we’ve got.”

As for the city, Mayor Darryl Grennell said the city does not stand to gain a large amount of revenue from the reassessment of properties.

Grennell said the accountant helping the city plan the upcoming budget said the city may gain a little more than $100,000.

The mayor said the additional revenue might be better spent on salary adjustments for firefighter and police officers. Grennell said the city, because of current salaries, ends up being a training ground for other agencies that can offer higher pay. To compete, the city needs to adjust salaries accordingly.

Grennell also said he thinks the city needs to consider building a positive end-of-the-year cash balance.

“The city doesn’t have that right now,” Grennell said.

Setting up an end-of-the-year cash balance would help the city with unexpected expenses and also help improve the city’s bond rating.

“Cities and counties all across the country are building up their end-of-the-year cash balances,” he said.