WALTHALL — Taxes owed on a tract of 16th Section school trust land were addressed by the Webster County Board of Supervisors on Dec. 5.
Previous leaseholder Marshall Bailey owes the taxes for 2019 on a parcel of 16th Section property on Shaw Road, according to discussion at the meeting. Chancery Clerk Russ Turner said the debt, including penalties and interest, is between $3,500-$4,000.
Turner told supervisors the state Auditor’s Office said the county is obligated to make an attempt to collect the debt. Board President Pat Cummings called Superintendent of Education James Mason during the meeting with questions about the matter. Mason confirmed that under state code the Board of Supervisors and not the school district must attempt to collect the debt because it involves taxes.
Paul Crowley (District 4) subsequently entertained a motion to retain Meek & Meek, attorneys at law of Eupora, to bring suit against Bailey to collect the unpaid ad valorem taxes on the 16th Section agricultural lease for the year 2019. The law firm will be paid $150 an hour for all work on the case beginning Dec. 5 and afterwards. Eudy Morris (District 1) seconded and the motion was approved 5-0.
Other Business
In other business last week, the Board of Supervisors voted to pay $100,957.39 for 11 automated external defibrillators and three mechanical chest compression devices out of the Fire Levy Fund. The county received proposals for the emergency medical equipment through an electronic reverse auction.
Some supervisor said they had been under the impression that the county would be reimbursed for their purchase from American Rescue Plan Act funds. However, Deputy EMA Director/Fire Coordinator Tom Booth said no grant is involved.
Booth also presented an estimate for repairs to a county fire truck located at Mathiston. The board voted to pay Mathiston Mobile Truck Repair $505 for the repairs out of Fire Levy.
Additionally, the board opened and accepted yearly bids for furnishing goods and services to the county. Landscape bids for the DHS building, library, Justice Court building, Courthouse and 911 Center will be readvertised. The board had voted Nov. 7 to advertise for the bids.
Another motion approved Dec. 5 was to hire Andrew Rogers as a full-time deputy and Sirjiau Roby as a certified part-time jailer, both effective the next pay period.
The board voted to allow Coroner Scott Dean and Deputy Coroner Kasey Skelton to attend an associational conference Jan. 18-20 in Flowood, and to pay their associational dues for 2023 totaling $400. Dean, as director of North Mississippi Medical Center-Eupora’s ambulance service, introduced Ben Richards to the board. Richards is senior director of emergency transport services for North Mississippi Health Services.
The board recessed until Dec. 19.
Nov. 7
In addition to previously reported business from Nov. 7, meeting minutes show the board voted that date to authorize Clerk Turner to complete the FY 2023 Emergency Medical Services Operating Fund grant application in the amount of $6,053. The grant had to be submitted by Nov. 11 to the state Health Department.
The board also accepted the monthly report of Dan Burchfield, who is the county’s commissioner on the Golden Triangle Regional Solid Waste Management Authority’s Executive Committee.
Nov. 21
On Nov. 21, the board voted to pass the premium pay resolution giving all eligible full-time and part-time law enforcement officers a one-time bonus cash payment. This is per the Mississippi Law Enforcement and Firefighters Premium Pay Program.
The board also voted to designate Marvin Hill Church Road, a current existing but private road, as a Webster County public road and to place it in the county road registry. The road, which is located in supervisor’s District 5, begins at the intersection of the existing Marvin Hill Church Road with state Highway 50 East. From that point it runs north for 927.5 feet to the grounds of Marvin Hill Church.
Supervisors also voted to increase the pay of the Election Commission’s Resolution Committee from $50 to $100 per election for each member of the committee retroactive to Nov. 1. The five members of the committee are selected by the election commissioners.
The pay for Mo Sims and Steve Hodges, who are employed by the county to assist the election commissioners at each election, will also increase from $50 to $100.
A motion was approved to follow the governor’s proclamation in that for Thanksgiving the Courthouse would be closed Nov 24-25, for Christmas Dec. 23 and 26, and for New Year’s Jan. 2.
The board was to open bids for the purchase of a used fire truck owned by the county. Public notice had been given by posting, but no bids of any nature were received through the mail or in person, according to the minutes.
Nov. 30
On Nov. 30, the board voted to:
• include these inventory items in the Thomas Auction that was to be held Dec . 3: loader bucket, two John Deere tractors, Freightliner truck and dump trailer.
• spread a copy of the certificate from the Department of Revenue finally approving the assessment rolls for 2022.
• reject both bids received for the sale of two tar trucks (one bid each) that were in inventory but no longer used by the county. The board will explore other means of disposing of the trucks.
• approved the claims docket for the month.
