The Northside Sun from Jackson, Mississippi • Page 1

6fi wcn THE WEEKLY $16 For A Year. Call 957-1122 9,608 Paid Circulation; 24,020 Readership Jackson, Mississippi cr I 1 ONE THIRD OF CITY PROPERTY UNTAXARI Millions. on tax exempt properties Other owners of large amounts of tax exempt property include the city itself, Hinds County and the Jackson Public School District Less than one percent of the tax exempt property is owned by private business. The new report, undertaken at the 5 By JOHN DILMORE Sun StafT Writer ACCORDING TO A recently completed report, Jackson's tax base is not nearly as strong as it should be because of the tremendous amount of tax exempt property located inside the city. The Capital City Commission Report, which at presstime was due out this week, found that 30 percent of the approximately $6 billion worth of property in Jackson is exempt from taxation.

That means that there is approximately $1.8 billion worth of property in the city that is in not contributing to the city's tax base. "It's eroding our tax base," said Bubba Weir, Jackson's deputy director of planning and development More than 33 percent of the tax exempt property in the city is owned by the State of Mississippi. The next largest owners of tax exempt property are religious organizations, with 17 percent capital cities in the country do. Some have what they call payments in lieu of These take a myriad of forms. In some states they give money for police protection and fire protection.

"Some have what are called 'services in lieu of where some sort of service is provided, such as landscaping and lighting improvements." Currently, the city collects only a water and sewer charge on tax exempt property. BUT EVEN WITH one third of property free from taxation, the city's overall tax base seems to be in sound condition. The value of the city's tax base used to calculate the 1996-1997 municipal budget was $910,674,000. That figure is up considerably from the $884,151,000 used to calculate the previous year's municipal budget This overall value is the amount which is taxed by placing the city's millage rate against it It does not rep 9 resent the actual amount of revenue collected In terms of monies actually taken in, the 1996-1997 budget projects a $470,130 increase in revenues from taxes on real property. This year's budgeted figure is $14,348,893, compared to $13,914,763 in 1995-1996.

Taxes levied against personal property are expected to bring in $7,913,644 for 1996-1997, compared to $7,810,977 for 1995-1996. That makes for a revenue increase of $102,667. Only a minute increase is expected in one of the city 'it most important sources of revenue, retail sales tax. In 1995-1996, the city collected $34,275,227 in retail sales tax. This year, the number is projected to be $34,3 16,000, an increase of only $40,773.

Linda Taylor, the city's deputy director of finance and administration, said sales tax revenues this year are holding steady so far. (See TAXES, Page 24A) .1 request of Mayor Kane Ditto, recommends that something be done so that this nearly $2 billion worth of tax Churches own 1 7 percent of the city's untaxable property exempt property can benefit the city financially. "One issue we've looked at," Weir said, "is what other Sbctv years later R'land joint venture to offer varied land uses, opportunities mmvpi aw I i 1 I II I II I I ,41 By BRENT OTT Sun Staff Writer A RECENT MOVE by Ridgeland's city council has cleared the way for a local developer to complete his "master plan" for a large planned development Gary Cress, president of The Cress Company said the rezoning involves "a 105-acre parcel that we are purchasirig from Pamela Edwards, Cynthia Adams and a trust. "Out of the 105 acres, we only asked for approximately 50 acres to be rezoned. The remaining land will remain R-2 (residential) and is planned to be developed as an addition to Windover subdivision in an overall master plan for a 360 acre planned development" The entire 105 acres fronts Lake Harbour Drive, which Cress said has been designated by the city as a major thoroughfare.

Of the rezoned land, "approximately seven acres have been rezoned for retail next to the land that currently abuts Albertson's," Cress said. This area is planned to be a joint venture between Cress and landowner Lee Hawkins for a neighborhood shopping center. Due west of this land, 10 acres were rezoned commercial for a planned office park, the only commercially-zoned land along that stretch of Lake Harbour. CRESS SAID A TIME line for this construction is uncertain at this point i "It may take a year, it may take two years. Our goal is to have a tree-shaded boulevard entering the office park with green spaces along Lake Harbour and the other adjoining boundaries," which are required by the city as a buffer zone.

The lots in the office park are designed for square foot buildings. 'They will be individually owned to provide professional services, such a doctor, a dentist and general office space," Cress said. "We think it's necessary to provide those ser-' vices for the people that are going to be living here." Along the southern boundary of the property, adjacent to the office park site, approximately 30 acres were rezoned to a designation that allows at least 10 lots per acre, but a provision was added to this parcel that allows for a maximum of only 4.5 lots per acre. As the land develops and becomes more expensive, this will allow fop; smaller, more affordable single-fam ily housing to be constructed. This area will serve as a transition from--the commercial park to the east and the larger homes to (See REZONING, Page 24A) Class of 1937 Members of the Central High School Class of 1937 recently gathered for their 60th reunion.

Enjoying the weekend were (from left, back) John Burwell, Herman Zimoski, Kersy Marsh, Julius Koenig; (third row) Ross Pierce, Jim Cockrell, Richard Bilbo, Tommy Williams, Sam Birdsong, Rice Wilson, Walter Christensen, Nancy Brooks Adcock, Richard Dorman, Giles Lauderdale, Jimmye Bagley Danks, Calvin Michel, James Cavett; (second row) Wilbur Harper, Shelby Kornrumpf, Frances Rembert, Frances Shaw Green, Jean Barksdale Homes, Hilton Carlisle, Mary Sylvia Heron Whitten, Thelma Rose, Birdie Mae Reed Smith, Van M. Richardson, Clifford Godwin, Bill Barrow, Otto Wise, James Hearon; (front) Leonard Posey, Elta Robinson Posey, Jessie Mays Alderman, Hilton Lancaster, Doris Thompson Lancaster, Frances Beasley Arnold, Jamie Brown Ray, Lois Wiltshire Smathers, Ruby Crews Peterson, Evelyn Billings Seibert, Stella Calhoun Dockery, Jane Pitts Mullins, Annie Lois Whyte Cousins, Doris Winstead Hogue and Andrew Orkin. Library board seeking bolstered budget N'sider victim of cell phone 'cloning' scam THE JACKSONHINDS County Library System Administrative Board is hoping for a little understanding from the county and city when they begin formulating their budgets the coming year. The library system is currently getting by on a wing and a prayer after narrowly avoiding a series of major cutbacks last fall. At that time, the system was faced with having to close some branches, including the Northeast Jackson branch in Colonial Mart, due to a lack of funds.

The library board backed, and the board of supervisors approved, a slight millage increase to avoid any closures or other major cutbacks. But that increase only maintained the library system's funding at its previous level, and didn't represent any real increase in revenues for the branches. The libraries budget is approximately $1,070,000. This has created a situation which again has the system moving toward possible cutbacks, according to library board Chairman Richard Barnes. "If we don't get some increase," Barnes said, "we're going to be faced with some kind of cutbacks somewhere, because the money is just not there with what we have at hand right now." The library system's overall expenditure budget is expected to increase approximately two percent next year.

To meet that, the system is asking for a 13 percent in funding from the city and county. THE BOARD HAS RECENTLY submitted an advance summary of the system's budgetary requirements. The city and county will not actually begin financial planning for next year until August. "What we have always tried to do," Barnes said, "is give them as much advance notice as possible. We have adopted a bottom line budget, so that they can get a good idea of what we're looking at." Additional funding is needed to take care of a number of things, Barnes said.

Among the concerns is the condition of many of the library facil-(See LIBRARY, Page 24) KARL OTT BARELY noticed when his cellular phone bill went up after his first month of service. The next month, his bill more than quintupled to 1 ,700, and he knew something was wrong. He quickly called his service provider, Century Cellunet which examined his account and informed him that he was the victim of cellu lar phone "cloning" fraud. "I returned my phone and they, closed the account. Then they gave1 me a new phone, and that one got cloned too," Ott said.

"I'm sure I'll" get another cellular at some point in the future, but not any time sooa" Scott Stewart, a Century Cellunet customer service representative irf (See CLONING, Page 24A) Ridgeland subdivision to open by first of year INDEX Church News 16-17A KIDS LOOK FOR Fr I THE NEW 5 is 4A FEATURE IN I TODAYS sesiB EDITION: ATOZKIDS I NEWS 1-sb ON PAGE 1 1215A 20A 2 5 No-33 2 NAMED FOR A LUSH national park near San Francisco, a new residential development in Ridgeland should be home to its first residents by January. Muirwoods, a development by Good Earth which is owned and run by Mark Jordan, will encompass 30 acres to the north of Rice Road, about one-quarter of a mile west of Old Canton Road. "It's in the middle of the only true 'hot spot' in Madison County right now," Jordan said. "That market is being driven by the convenience of the Reservoir-Old Canton Road corridor. Construction will take place in two phases, the first of which will consist of 43 homes.

This phase is expected to begin in October, as soon as the streets are completed, and should be 'V-: I 41: finished by January, 1998. Phase will begin next summer, when the construction season begins. In this phase, the remaining 15 lots will be developed, "possibly with some garden home 'pods'," Jordan said. "We are completing our market research this month, which will support the direction of our second phase." Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee said he is pleased to see Jordan continue to build in the city. "He is one of the highest quality developers anywhere in the country, so we're really excited to have this new addition to our city." THROUGH GOOD EARTH, Jordan has created numerous residential developments throughout (See SUBDIVISION, Page 24A) Photo by Beth Buckley Bank construction A new Union Planters Bank building is under construction on Highway 51, Madison next to the post office.

The 3,000 square foot building will be of plaster material with a cedar shake roof. It will have four drive through lanes and an ATM. Mike Cliburn, superintendent with and Construction Company, said completion date is expected September 1. 1.