Sept. 26 -- MOSS POINT, MS -- After what they called a "tough" budget process, the mayor and aldermen approved their FY19 budget.

One of the hotly debated items was restructuring the fire and police department, creating a public safety director who would oversee both fire and police departments.

Members of the fire department spoke to the mayor and aldermen in executive session where they expressed their desire for Chief Tommy Posey to remain their leader.

The board shared the fire department's sentiments as they voted to keep Posey and instead, capped overtime for hourly employees within any division that requires overtime to save the city money.

Ward 1 alderman Sherwood Bradford spoke to those in attendance about the budget process and how strenuous the process was but said the city will continue to revisit positions to be sure the city is running as efficiently as possible.

"I think it was a good idea to not raise taxes last week, but as the mayor said, this wasn't an easy process -- we looked to save money wherever we could," Bradford said. "What we do not approve on one end must be approved on the other to keep the city running. Shutting down the city was not an option."

Included within the new budget is a utility rate increase. Originally, the city was charging $14 for the first 3,000 gallons. Now, the city will charge $17.20 for the first 3,000 gallons.

Budget projections stand at $16.9 million for FY19. According to Mayor Mario King, the budget is as lean as possible.

"In my opinion, this reflects the first time Moss Point has a budget that is balanced and reflects the projected revenues according to audits requested by the city," King said. "Additionally, I am overwhelmed with confidence that the board knows what each number within the budget means and our aldermen can make informed decisions voting going forward."

While there may be some residents who have issues with the way the budget process worked, King said he thinks citizens at the very least appreciate the city's transparency.

"Our job is to pass a balanced budget and while it may not have been to delight of all of our citizens, we're on the right track in our attempt to 'Rejuvenate Moss Point'," King said.

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