Supervisors Weigh Justice Court Merger

By David Howell
Editor

COFFEEVILLE – A minor audit finding stemming from the 2008 audit conducted by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor prompted supervisors to weigh several options concerning the justice court offices, including the possible consolidation of the Coffeeville and Water Valley offices.

    “We had three findings in our audit and they moved on to another county,” Chancery Clerk Amy McMinn told supervisors as she shared the exit report from state officials during the “first Monday” meeting held Nov. 2 in Coffeeville.

    The first problem addressed was a potential problem in the county’s two justice court offices, specifically the lack of oversight because each court clerk handles all of the financial duties separately with no oversight.

    “An effective system of internal controls should include an adequate separation of duties. Cash collection and disbursement functions are not adequately separated,” McMinn told supervisors, reading from the auditor’s report.

    “I asked them simply would someone else doing their bank reconciliations settle this issue and he said it would,” McMinn continued. This would mean getting another county employee to perform the bank reconciliation, she added.

    “Y’all want to consider putting the justice court clerks together down in the new building?” District Two Supervisor Tommy Vaughn asked, later in the meeting, referring to the Carother’s building that houses the sheriff’s department and Department of Human Services.

    “That way we have it open all the time, instead of every time they  go to a meeting they are both closed,” Vaughn continued, referring to training session and meetings the justice court clerks attend during the year.

    “Suits me,” District Three Supervisor M.H. “Butch” Surrette answered.

    “I am not going to be for it, myself,” District 5 Supervisor Frank “Bubba” Tillman responded.

    “When one of them  wants to go to the convention, the other one can keep the office open,” Surrette said, as the back-and-forth discussion continued.

    “Absolutely,” Vaughn re-sponded.

    “There would be a lot of advantages,” Surrette continued.

    “Let me go on the record as stating that the audit department guy wanted me to make clear that he wasn’t recommending consolidation of offices, the employment of anybody new. He just said ‘Here it is, and y’all take care of it,’” McMinn said.

    “That isn’t his job to recommend that kind of stuff, that is our job,” Surrette replied.

    “We’ve got to do one of three things, do nothing, consolidate or hire somebody to reconcile the bank statements?” Board Attorney John Crow asked, after a lull in conversation about the topic.

    “Do we have to act on this today?” Board President Amos Sims asked, as a decision on the matter was postponed.

    A second audit citing was also addressed in the meeting. In this finding, the auditor reported that the county’s delinquent garbage bill’s monthly report did not properly list the prepayments made by customers. The audit finding can be easily corrected by tweaking the computer software, Purchasing Clerk Janet Caulder  told supervisors.

    Other business conducted at the meeting included:

    • Approved three applications from logging companies to exceed to posted weight limits on county roads. Fly Timber was granted an application on county roads 151 and 105 in District Three. Hankins Forest Products was granted an application on county roads 126 and 127 in District Two. Scotty Chambers was granted an application on County Road 2 in District Five.

    Before supervisors approve the applications, the companies must post a $2000 bond to cover potential road damage. Supervisors also route the log trucks on specific roads to minimize damage.

    • Granted a request from Civil Defense Director Frank Hyde to attend the state fire academy on Nov. 17 and 18. Hyde also serves as the county’s arson investigator and fire coordinator.

    • Approved the expenditure of a full page ad in the Mississippi Association of Supervisor’s January legislative issue. The cost of the ad was $300.

    • Scheduled holiday closures in conjunction with state office closings. Supervisors agreed to close Friday, Nov. 27, following Thanksgiving; Thursday, Dec. 24 and Thursday, Dec. 31.

    • Approved a school bus turnaround list for the Coffeeville School District.

    • Received an update from Sheriff Lance Humphreys on a DUI grant from the Mississippi Department of Public Safety. The $10,000 grant will be used to cover overtime pay for deputies during peak holiday periods.

    • Authorized a trip for Yalobusha County Election Commissioners and Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney to attend the annual Election Commissioners Association meeting at the Silver Star Hotel in Philadelphia.