Public budget work in Mississippi is split across three layers of government, and each layer keeps its own offices, calendars and records. The state budget is assembled in Jackson by elected officials and legislative staff. County budgets are adopted by boards of supervisors in 82 courthouses. City budgets are set by mayors and councils or boards of aldermen in town halls from Tupelo to the Gulf Coast. Knowing which layer controls the money you care about saves a lot of phone calls.
Our database lists the Hinds County Budget Department and the Mississippi State Budget Department, both in Jackson, plus the Tupelo City Budget Department in Lee County. Many other Mississippi counties and towns do the same work through a chancery clerk, city clerk or finance officer, without a separate budget department sign on the door. A missing listing for your town does not mean nobody handles the budget there.
Three Layers of Public Budgeting in Mississippi
The layers run on different clocks. The state fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. Counties and municipalities in Mississippi use an October 1 to September 30 fiscal year. That gap matters. A state appropriation takes effect on July 1, a full quarter before local budgets begin.
Each layer also answers to a different set of officials:
- State: the Governor, the Legislature, the Legislative Budget Office and the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).
- County: the five-member board of supervisors, the chancery clerk, the tax assessor and the tax collector.
- City: the mayor, the council or board of aldermen, and the city clerk or finance officer.
The Office of the State Auditor sits across all three. It examines state agencies and reviews local government finances, so its published reports are a useful cross-check on what any budget office tells you.
School districts are a separate case. They adopt their own budgets through their school boards, and the county board of supervisors levies the property taxes the districts request. If your question is about a school budget, start with the district office rather than the county or city.
How the State Budget Moves Through Jackson
State agencies submit their funding requests during the summer. Staff of the Legislative Budget Office review those requests, and the Governor's office prepares its own recommendation. In the fall, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee holds hearings and adopts a legislative recommendation. Lawmakers convene in January, and appropriation bills must pass both chambers, which have 52 senators and 122 representatives. The Governor signs the bills and holds a line-item veto over appropriations.
The Mississippi State Budget Department listing in our database is at Suite 201B, 501 N West St, Jackson, phone 601-359-1580. This office works mostly with agencies, legislators and analysts rather than walk-in visitors. You can still call it for copies of budget recommendations, appropriation figures and the schedule of committee hearings. If you want to influence a number, a call to your own senator or representative usually moves faster than a visit.
Day-to-day state accounting and payments run through DFA, which operates the statewide accounting system. DFA also supports a public transparency website where you can look up state spending. A vendor waiting on a state payment should call the agency that placed the order first, not the budget office.
It also helps to know what a budget office cannot do. It does not issue refunds, settle tax bills or approve individual spending requests from the public. A dispute over a property valuation goes to the county tax assessor first, and then to the board of supervisors, which hears assessment appeals.
County Budgets: Boards of Supervisors and Chancery Clerks
Each Mississippi county is governed by a five-member board of supervisors, one elected from each supervisor district. The board adopts the county budget, sets the property tax millage rate and approves claims for payment. The chancery clerk serves as clerk of the board, keeps the minutes and holds the financial records. If you want to read a county budget, the chancery clerk's office is often the most reliable place to start.
County budget offices vary widely in size. The Hinds County Budget Department, listed at 316 South President Street in Jackson (601-968-6765), serves the county that contains the state capital, with a large payroll, courts, a detention system and road programs. You can browse the offices we list on the Hinds County page. A smaller county such as Lee County, where Tupelo is the county seat, runs a lighter structure. The Lee County page shows what we have there.
Property taxes fund much of county government, so budget season overlaps with the assessment calendar. Supervisors generally hold a public hearing before adopting the budget, and notice of it is published in a local newspaper. Check that date. The hearing is the one moment when the full spending plan is laid open for comment.
City Budgets in Tupelo, Jackson and Smaller Mississippi Towns
Mississippi municipalities set budgets through their governing authorities, meaning the mayor and the council or board of aldermen, depending on the charter. The city clerk usually keeps the books and posts the notices. In Tupelo, the Tupelo City Budget Department is listed at 71 Troy St, phone 662-841-6456. Tupelo is the largest city in northeast Mississippi and the seat of Lee County, so its budget covers services for a regional hub, including police, fire, streets and parks.
Jackson is different in scale. As the state capital and largest city, it has the state budget office, the county budget office and city government within a few miles of each other. That makes it easy to reach the wrong desk, so confirm which government owns your question before you drive downtown.
Rural areas look different. In small Delta, Piney Woods and hill-country towns, the clerk may work part time and the board may meet only once or twice a month. Office hours can be short. Call before driving, ask which day the board meets, and ask whether budget documents are kept at city hall, at the courthouse or online. Many small towns have no website at all.
Two membership groups, the Mississippi Municipal League and the Mississippi Association of Supervisors, publish guidance for local officials. Their materials explain how boards are expected to handle budgets, which gives you a baseline when a local office seems unsure of its own process.
Getting Answers from a Mississippi Budget Office
Budget records are public records under the Mississippi Public Records Act. A public body must either produce the records or give a written explanation within seven working days of a request. Reasonable fees for searching and copying may apply. Put your request in writing and keep a dated copy.
Before you call or visit, gather the following:
- The fiscal year and the budget line or department you are asking about.
- The name of the agency, county or city whose funds are involved.
- A written records request and a photo ID if the office asks for one.
- The next meeting date of the board of supervisors or city council, which most clerks will give you by phone.
Weekday mornings are usually best. Local budget deadlines cluster in late summer and September because of the October 1 start, so expect busier offices then.
The state budget department in Mississippi is responsible for coordinating the governor's executive budget proposal, managing the state's fiscal year appropriations process, monitoring agency spending, and reporting on the state's financial condition to the legislature and the public.
Budget Departments locations are available in 2 cities across Mississippi. They are spread across 2 counties.
Cities with the highest concentration include Jackson, Tupelo, where larger municipal governments maintain dedicated budget offices to manage complex multi-department expenditure plans and capital improvement programs.
Residents of Mississippi interested in participating in the budget process can attend public budget hearings, review draft budget documents posted online, and submit written comments to their local government budget office during the public comment period before budget adoption.
Hinds County Budget Department
Mississippi State Budget Department
Tupelo City Budget Department
Nonprofit organizations, contractors, and grant recipients working with Mississippi government programs should contact the relevant budget department for information about current fiscal year appropriations, spending freeze notifications, and any mid-year budget adjustments that may affect funding levels for ongoing programs or contracts.
Browse Budget Departments by county across Mississippi to find the nearest location.
Planning Around Mississippi's Budget Calendar
Timing is the most practical lesson about budget offices in this state. At the state level, agencies ask for money in the summer, hearings follow in the fall, the Legislature meets from January, and new appropriations start on July 1. Locally, the year starts October 1, with hearings and final votes in late summer. Boards can also amend budgets during the year, and those changes appear in meeting minutes.
Where you live changes how you reach these offices. In Jackson, the Hinds County Budget Department and the Mississippi State Budget Department are both listed in the capital, so one trip can cover a county question and a state question if you book each one in advance. In Tupelo, the city office on Troy St handles city matters, while county matters go through Lee County offices. Smaller towns often combine the budget role with the clerk's other duties.
Supervisors, mayors and council members are elected, and their budget votes are public. Minutes show what was approved, and you can ask the clerk for them. Our listings are starting points, not guarantees of hours or services, so confirm by phone before you travel.