Political Activity Starts Slow In The County
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WATER VALLEY – The list of county candidates is slow to grow for the 2023 election and the qualifying period has already passed the midway point. Yalobusha County Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney reported 10 candidates have submitted qualifying paperwork to his office.
The candidate list includes incumbent Sheriff Jerimaine Gooch, who will run as an independent. Gooch’s candidacy follows his landslide victory in a special election in November for sheriff. Gooch won 62 percent of the votes cast in the four-way race.
District 2 Justice Court Judge Trent Howell is also on the candidate list as he will seek a second term. Howell is also running as an independent candidate. Howell and the late Sheriff Mark D. Fulco were the first candidates elected to county offices as independent candidates in recent history. Both Fulco and Howell won elections in 2019.
Brad Willingham qualified for Tax Assessor/Collector as an independent candidate. His candidacy comes after six-term incumbent Linda Shuffield announced she would retire at the end of the year.
Other independent candidates who have submitted qualifying paperwork include Kenny Harmon, who is seeking his second term as District 3 Supervisor; Randy Simmons, who is seeking his sixth term as District 2 Constable; and Donald Gray, who is running for Chancery Clerk. Gray is seeking the Chancery Clerk’s position after six-term incumbent Amy F. McMinn announced she will not run this year.
Democratic candidates who have submitted qualifying paperwork include Kenneth Rogers, who is seeking a third term as District 2 Supervisor; John Perkins, who is also running for District 2 Supervisor; Eddie Harris, who is seeking a second term as District 4 Supervisor; and Gaylon Gray, who is seeking a third term as District 5 Supervisor.
Other candidates who have not completed qualifying paperwork but have submitted their notice of intent to run in the North Mississippi Herald include Circuit Clerk Daryl Burney, Coroner Ronnie Stark, District 1 Constable Ralph Horton, District 1 Justice Court Judge Janet Caulder, District 1 Supervisor Cayce Washington.
The deadline to qualify is February 1. There were a total of 39 candidates seeking county offices in the 2019 election.
Duties and Qualifications For Countywide Offices
Chancery Clerk and Circuit ClerkQualifications: A qualified elector of the county in which he/she seeks election. Must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two years on the day before the election.
Duties: The Chancery Clerk is elected to a four-year term and may run for re-election. The Chancery Clerk is the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors and of the Chancery Court. The Clerk is responsible for maintaining the records of both the Board and the Court.
The Circuit Clerk is elected to a four-year term and may run for re-election. The Clerk is the chief officer of the Circuit Court and chief elections officer of the county. The Clerk maintains the voter rolls and assists the Election Commissioners in purging the voter rolls, and assists election officials to conducting primary and general elections.
Tax Assessor and/ or Tax Collector
Qualifications: A qualified elector of the county in which he/she seeks election. Must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two years on the day before the election.
Duties: The Tax Assessor and/or Tax Collector may serve in both capacities in all counties. This official is elected to a four-year term and may run for re-election.
The Assessor’s role is to maintain the personal, real and ad valorem tax rolls of the county. The Collector is responsible for keeping the records of tax payments and depositing the money in the county treasury.
Coroner
Qualifications: A qualified elector, at least 21 years of age, possessing a high school diploma or its equivalent, of the county in which he/she seeks election. The minimum education requirement shall not apply to any Coroner holding office on July 1, 1986, who is re-elected in the 1987 general election and thereafter as long as he/she maintains continuous active service. Must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two years on the day before the election.
Duties: The Coroner is elected to a four- year term and may run for re-election.
The Coroner is the chief county medical examiner and/or county medical examiner investigator. This official is responsible for issuing declarations of death and performing or reporting results of autopsies in cases requiring such action.
Prosecuting Attorney
Qualifications: A resident of the county for at least two years prior to the general election, a qualified elector and a regular licensed and practicing attorney.
Duties: The county prosecuting attorney represents the state in all felony matters before the county’s justice courts and county courts. Additionally, the county attorney represents the state in criminal cases appealed from county court to circuit court, can present any matter to the grand jury, and has full responsibility for all misdemeanor youth court proceedings and all other cases not specified to the district attorney.
He or she can also be appointed by the district attorney as designee. In counties where no county attorney is elected, one may be employed by the county board of supervisors to represent certain cases. The county prosecuting attorney is elected to a four-year term and may run for re-election.
Sheriff
Qualifications: Not a defaulter to the state or any county or municipality or to the United States and a qualified elector. Must be a resident of the county they seek election in for two years on the day before the election.
Duties: The sheriff is the chief law enforcement officer of the county and is elected to a four-year term. He may run for re-election. The sheriff is the chief officer of the chancery and circuit courts and maintains the county law library. The sheriff is in charge of the county courthouse, jail, and protection of prisoners.
Qualifying Procedure for county-wide offices
Political party candidates submit a Statement of Intent and $100 qualifying fee to the appropriate county party executive committee via the Circuit Clerk.
Independent candidates file a Statement of Intent, petition containing signatures of not less than 50 qualified electors of the county, and a $100 qualifying fee to the county via the Circuit Clerk.
Duties and Qualifications For County District Offices
Constable
Qualifications: A qualified elector in the county and district in which he/she seeks election. Must be a resident of the county district in which he/she seeks election for two years preceding the day of election.
Duties: Constables shall keep and preserve the peace within their county, by aiding and assisting in executing the criminal laws of the state for the Justice Courts of his district.
Constables shall obey all lawful orders and execute all judgments for Justice Courts within this district.
Justice Court Judge
Qualifications: A qualified elector, a resident of the county two years preceding the day of election, a high school graduate or its equivalent, and completion of a course of training required by law within six months of the beginning of the term of office.
Duties: Justice Court Judges shall have civil and criminal jurisdiction of all actions where the principal of the debt, amount of the demand, or the value of the property sought to be recovered shall not exceed $3,500.
Supervisor
Qualifications: A qualified elector of the county and a resident for two (2) years, as of the day before the election, in the district in which he/she seeks election.
Duties: Supervisors shall have the power to adopt, modify, alter, or repeal orders, resolutions or ordinances in their respective county and district not inconsistent with law. In general, supervisors have jurisdiction over roads, ferries, bridges, tax levies, courthouses and jails, county-owned real property, appropriation of funds, contractual powers of municipality as well as other powers expressly authorized by law.
Qualifying Procedure for county district offices
Political party candidates submit a Statement of Intent and $100 qualifying fee to the appropriate county party executive committee via the Circuit Clerk.
Independent candidates file a Statement of Intent, petition containing signatures of not less than 15 qualified electors of the district, and a $100 qualifying fee to the county via the Circuit Clerk.
