City Council, School Board Approve Plan to Pay Back Liquor Taxes
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DOWNTOWN JACKSON — The city of Jackson and the Jackson-Madison County school board have approved a plan to pay millions in back liquor taxes to the Jackson-Madison County School System . “It would significantly help us to be able to stay afloat this year and we certainly look forward to that,” Superintendent Dr. Verna Ruffin said. According to Mayor Jerry Gist, the council approved the plan to pay the county $1 million up front and an additional $197,115 a year for the next nine years, which is a total of just over $2.7 million. “We feel this is a good compromise and it will allow us to move forward by placing some additional money in our school system,” Dr. Ruffin said. Mayor Gist says the proposal is a compromise reached between the city and school board prior to Thursday. “I think it’s a good compromise anytime you take the same hit as far as money,” Gist said. “Then it is about as fair as you can get. And whether there is a winner or there is a loser, I can’t say.” Dr. Ruffin says the extra money wil be spent to keep Student Resource Officers in the schools and to focus on academic excellence. The Madison County commissioners will be presented with the proposal on Monday for approval. Mayor Gist says the city will have to make cuts to come up with the money that will include cuts to Madison County emergency management, cuts in library funding and cutting a few part-time seasonal city jobs.
