WALTHALL —The Webster County Board of Supervisors heard an objection to a property tax assessment earlier this month.
Attorney Hays Burchfield appeared before the board Aug. 7 to object to the property tax assessment of his office building in downtown Eupora, which he asserted should be lower. He claimed it was not in line with the appraisals of neighboring businesses.
Aug. 7 was the day for supervisors to hear objections to real and personal property assessments for 2023. Mike Sanders of Tupelo, who has the contract to appraise the county, and Tax Assessor-Collector Barbara Gore were present.
“My opinion is your value is OK for now,” Sanders told Burchfield. “My recommendation is to leave the value alone,” but said he would do more research . ”If I change yours, I’ll need to change all of those in your area,” Sanders added.
He also said, “We try to appraise them (properties) as equally as we can.”
After hearing from both men, the board tabled the matter until Aug. 21 for further evaluation from Sanders and asked him to remeasure the buildings on both sides of Burchfield’s. A Grady Road resident came in the boardroom later concerning the ad valorem taxes on her property before she was directed to discuss the matter with Sanders in the tax assessor’s office.
EOC Update
Architect Belinda Stewart gave an update on the progress on the plans for the Webster County Emergency Operations Center, which will be built on the Courthouse property.
Stewart said she had talked to U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly’s office and all is in order regarding a $3 million USDA Rural Development grant that has been awarded the county for the construction of the facility.
She said Cliff Russell of the agency’s Starkville office told her there is no real deadline to be under construction. However, Deputy Sheriff Tim Roberson asked her to expedite the project if possible. Stewart said she has multiple people working on it and is trying to hire more people.
EMA Matters
The board reviewed the August Emergency Management Report submitted by Deputy EMA Director Tom Booth. He was at the Choctaw County board meeting that morning discussing the probability of Webster and Choctaw counties entering into a joint partnership for long-term recovery.
This means long-term recovery funding would be available to help citizens with supplies for repairs if the threshold for federal funding could not be met in the event of a disaster, Booth wrote.
Booth’s report includes official notification from the state Office of Homeland Security of a $50,000 award to Webster County EMA toward the purchase of 25 handheld MSWIN radios.
Booth first informed the board of the award on July 3, when it voted to accept the grant. The 100% grant requires no contribution by the county. The Mississippi Wireless Information Network is a secure digital radio system that allows emergency responders to communicate with each other statewide.
Additionally, the report includes an approval letter for the county’s tornado siren project.. The county was approved for $92,452 and is responsible for 10%, or $9,245,20. One siren will be placed at East Webster High School and another at Tomnolen Baptist Church. Siren activation equipment will be housed at the 911 Center.
Additionally, the board voted to accept a $250,000 grant from the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration and authorize the chancery clerk to open a new bank account for the funds. The appropriation is part of House Bill 603 passed during the past legislative session. Its purpose is to assist the county with costs associated with the repairs and maintenance of volunteer fire departments.
The board also accepted the continuation of a grant from the Mississippi Office of Highway Safety for overtime reimbursement for deputies totaling $18,700.
July 17 Meeting
During a recessed meeting July 17, minutes show Steven Smith addressed the board concerning his taxes and his disability status.
Jonathan Taylor and James Belk were hired as summer workers for District 5. Carol Holland was hired as part time in the tax office not to exceed 80 hours a month.
The 2023 Golden Triangle Planning and Development District Webster County Advisory Committee meeting was called to order. Supervisors voted to reappoint District 1 Supervisor Eudy Morris to the GTPDD board of directors for the term beginning July 1, 2023, and ending June 30, 2027.
The board voted to enter into a contract with North Mississippi EMS Authority for fiscal year 2023-24.
The board also approved a motion stating it has received a certificate from the Mississippi Department of Revenue certifying that the county tax assessor has provided MDR with a correct copy of the recapitulation of the real and personal assessment rolls for the county for fiscal year 2023.
July 24-26 Meetings
On July 24, the board directed the clerk to move the July allocation of the Mississippi Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2018 money in the amount of $564,746.44 from the General Bank account to the MIMA Account.
Supervisors worked on the 2023-24 county budget during recessed meetings on July 24-26, according to the minutes.
July 31 Meeting
On July 31, minutes state the board voted to increase the salary of District 3 road hand Randy Bright effective Aug. 1.
Records show the board voted to pay for 10 radios purchased under state contract by the Sheriff’s Department without a requisition.
The minutes read: “This an effort by the board to rectify the situation. … The board gives the authority to Receiving Clerk Steve Hodges to receive the inventory. The radios were purchased by the Sheriff’s Dept. without a purchase order and without notifying any member of the Board of Supervisors on July 21. The radios were purchased from Anderson Communication of Oxford for a sum of $20,495. This action of the Board of Supervisors is to allow the purchase of the radios on this same date nunc pro tunc to July 7, 2023.”
Supervisors opened bids for the construction of a box bridge and approaches on Clarkson Road. After they were taken under advisement for review by engineers from State Aid, the board accepted the low bid of $639,775.75 from M&N Excavators of Oxford and awarded it the contract.
The board also opened bids for 2023 road improvements, which were taken under advisement for review by the county engineer.
• Additionally, records show the board approved motions on July 31 to:
• accept the only bid, that from Calvin Redwine of $1,000 for three sheriff’s vehicles, and to remove same from county inventory.
• grant Board President Pat Cummings the authority to sign for reimbursement for the Emergency Watershed Projects for the county.
• approve the claims docket for the month.
