Two weeks ago, the Leflore County Board of Supervisors passed its budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Monday, the same board shot it down while making what is usually a perfunctory final vote on the same document.
County Administrator Sam Abraham warned that if a budget isn’t turned in to the state by Thursday then taxes can’t be collected to fund county operations.
Board President Wayne Self, who voted to pass the budget at both meetings, then brought it up a second time, but it failed again along the same 3-2 lines.
The board will meet at 9 a.m. Wednesday to try to hammer out a deal.
On Aug. 30, Self, Robert Collins and Robert Moore voted “yea” on the budget, and Phil Wolfe voted “nay.” Preston Ratliff was absent.
The budget included a slight decrease in the tax rate, but taxpayers overall would have paid more based on increased property values. There was also a $50-per-month employee raise and more or less level funding.
The board held its mandatory public hearing about the budget Monday, and no citizens attended.
After the hearing, Collins and Self again voted for the budget, but Wolfe, Moore and Ratliff voted against it.
Moore said he’d received comments from constituents concerned about funding for advertising county resources.
It’s how the board gives money to communities for their annual festivals. Because the groups put the name of the Board of Supervisors on T-shirts and other items, the board is able to justify the expense as “advertising county resources.”
Each of the five supervisors’ districts was allocated $3,000 in the proposed budget, although District 1 Supervisor Phil Wolfe does not use the money.
Moore, the District 2 supervisor, said his constituents want the funding raised back to $5,000, which is what it was four years ago. Moore was the board’s president then.
He said funding was at $5,000 per community in those days.
But Self said only one community received that much money, referring to Browning in Moore’s district.
“Why didn’t the other communities have $5,000?” Moore said.
“Same question I asked from Day 1,” Self replied.
“They didn’t have the votes at the time,” Collins said.
Moore said he’s visited several communities and that they did a good job advertising county resources. He commended Schlater for its festival over Labor Day. Browning’s annual Labor Day festival was canceled because of poor weather, but Moore said it’s been rescheduled for Sept. 24.
He asked Abraham how much it would affect the tax levy to increase the funding for each district.
Abraham said the request wouldn’t change the tax rate but would cost $10,000.
The board then voted against the budget.
After taking up other business, Self then brought the budget back up near the end of the meeting, but it failed again.
Also Monday:
nThe board voted 3-2 to approve a $3,300 tax exemption for a 12-bed home for the mentally ill owned by Quality Mental Health on U.S. 82. Moore and Ratliff were opposed.
Quality Mental Health is a nonprofit organization set up by Life Help, the state mental health agency for Leflore and surrounding counties, to own Life Help’s property, attorney Johnny Henson told the board.
He and Life Help Executive Director Madolyn Smith first requested the exemption on June 13, but the board delayed action to determine if Quality Mental Health was a charitable organization.
Henson said he provided documentation as proof. He said the nonprofit was not required to have a charity number from the state because it doesn’t solicit donations. Tax Assessor Leroy Ware recommended the tax exemption after Self asked his opinion.
Moore said he had other concerns about the facility and would send a letter to Life Help with details.
nThe board initially voted 4-1 to hire Millennium Security Investigation of Greenwood to provide a guard for the Department of Human Services but then revoked its order after Board Attorney Joyce Chiles said that there was no length stipulated in the contract and that Leflore County was not listed as an additional insurer.
The board delayed action until the contract can be revised.
DHS Director Dynetha Thornton made the request.
The unarmed security guard would have been paid $12.50 an hour for 45 hours per week.
Thornton avoided the question when Ratliff asked her why the change in security was being made, saying only it was in the best interest of the agency.
DHS has been threatened with a lawsuit that is related in part to its security.
nThe board approved Roby Construction as a tenant at the county’s business incubator for $374 per month, which is based on a rate of $1 per square foot. It’s a two-year lease.
• Contact Charlie Smith at csmith@gwcommonwealth.com.
