Write this in stone: The tax rate should not increase this year for Adams County residents.

&uot;It won’t be (increased). I’m not going to let it be,&uot; said Charlie Brown, county administrator. Unless something unexpected happens &uot;you can write that in stone.&uot;

Figures have not been finalized, but Brown met with the Adams County Board of Supervisors Friday to give an update on the proposed budget. He plans to speak with them again on Monday.

&uot;Looks like we’re OK,&uot; Brown said.

Adams County would be even more than OK if not for a decision to add a cost of living increase for its employees to its budget. &uot;We can cut the millage if we don’t give a 3 percent raise,&uot; Brown said.

In figures calculated without cost of living raises included, Natchez residents would pay .83 mills – a figure used to calculate tax dollars – less in taxes a year. This is equal to about $8 less on a $100,000 house.

Adams County residents would pay 1.53 mills less in taxes.

This is equal to about $15 less on a $100,000 house.

&uot;There was a bigger decrease in those two items in millage this year,&uot; Brown said.

But supervisors say they would still like to decrease taxes. &uot;It’s real nice to not increase taxes but it’s a whole lot nicer if you can reduce them,&uot; said Supervisor Sammy Cauthen.

&uot;I’m of the opinion that the county has too high of taxes and anyway you can lower taxes to relieve (taxpayers) of part of the burden I’m trying to do it.&uot;

Cauthen said he was not completely happy with this year’s proposed budget.

&uot;I was trying to not only keep the millage at its present level – I was trying to reduce it,&uot; Cauthen said.

Adams County has a budget of about $21 million including all revenue sources.

Each mill collected by the county from inside the city is equal to $167,000, Brown said.

Outside the city, each mill is equal to $84,000.