Lowndes County supervisors approved amending the county’s budget to set aside $11,000 to cover remaining costs of building a new baseball field in the Plum Grove community Monday.
The project has progressed slowly since talks initiated by District 4 Supervisor Jeff Smith began to build the field in 2010. In 2012, supervisors allocated $42,000 in the 2013 fiscal year budget for construction.
County Administrator Ralph Billingsley said that to date, the county has spent $31,000 and is about to pay $5,000 for dirt work that was done in September. The county will have to spend another $6,000 to build a fence around the field, Billingsley said. His request was to re-budget the $11,000 that was not spent during the fiscal year when the initial funding was set aside.
After the request received a motion and a second, Smith said even with the $11,000, funding may still be at an $8,000 shortfall due to unanticipated engineering costs.
“We’ve been able to get some additional funds through other means such as donations, but right now we’re looking at a shortfall of about $8,000 to complete this whole project,” Smith said. “One of the the things I wanted to share with this board was since we’re amending the budget, the possibility of asking this board to amend that budget by that $8,000 professional services that we didn’t anticipate if we need to spend the money. It would be available and we wouldn’t have to come back before this board and discuss it anymore. If we don’t have to spend the money, the money will remain in the general fund.”
Board President Harry Sanders suggested Smith approach people who have previously shown interest in donating.
“You’re suggesting that we go ahead and amend our budget for $8,000 so you wouldn’t have to come back,” Sanders said. “That sounds good, but the problem is the ‘might as wells’ and the ‘why nots?’ If you know you’ve got the money, it’s going to get spent. As a consequence, you won’t try real hard to get the money from (people) that have promised the money.”
The board approved the initial recommendation to amend the budget for $11,000 for the project.
Caledonia Elementary designation recognized
Supervisors also presented a resolution commending the efforts of Caledonia Elementary School after it was named one of two National Blue Ribbon Schools. It was the only public school in Mississippi to make the 337-school list. The program honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students either achieve high learning standards or are making improvements in closing the achievement gap. A group from the school will travel to Washington, D.C. later this month to receive the award.
Present for Monday’s presentation were principal Roger Hill and assistant principals Gregory Elliott and Christy Adams.
Nathan Gregory covers city and county government for The Dispatch.
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