Supervisors Advertise For Part-Time EMA Deputy Director
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Stewart Spence, director of Yalobusha County Emergency Management, talks with supervisors at the Coffeeville courthouse during a March 16 discussion on hiring a deputy director.
COFFEEVILLE — The Yalobusha County Board of Supervisors voted March 16 to advertise for a part-time Emergency Management Agency deputy director position, filling a vacancy created when the previous deputy director was terminated in December 2025.
The decision came after a lengthy discussion during the board’s meeting at the Coffeeville courthouse, where supervisors debated workload, cost and the future structure of the office.
EMA Director Stewart Spence presented a proposed job description, explaining it was developed by reviewing other counties and tailoring it for Yalobusha County.
“I developed experience requirements,” Spence said. “Some of the requirements are from MEMA (Mississippi Emergency Management Agency). There are classes they’re going to have to take within a year of getting hired.”
Board President Cayce Washington immediately raised questions about how the position would function.
“Would the deputy director work directly for you or for the Board of Supervisors?” Washington asked.
Spence said the deputy director would report to him.
As discussion continued, Washington pressed further on the scope of the job and whether it would remain part-time.
“So you still envision this being a part-time position?” he asked.
Spence indicated the workload could justify more.
“To be honest, it will probably be a full-time position,” Spence said. “I just feel more comfortable making it a full-time position, and they know they are required to work at least eight hours a day.”
That drew concern from supervisors about cost.
“So you are talking about bringing someone on full-time,” Washington said. “We can’t pay them part-time money. That is going to add costs up that we don’t have budgeted.”
Washington also pointed out additional expenses tied to a full-time hire.
“We didn’t budget for health insurance,” he said.
Chancery Clerk Donald Gray noted that the cost of health insurance, paid by the county, is $800 per month if the employee works full-time.
Supervisors also discussed the demands of the position, particularly emergency response responsibilities.
“So how does it work if you have a house fire at 7 o’clock at night?” District 4 Supervisor Eddie Harris asked.
“It is your job to go to it,” Spence said. “It is a salary job. It is like my job. There is no overtime.”
Washington emphasized that the board had originally budgeted for only one full-time EMA position when Spence was hired, noting the current structure allows Spence to draw state retirement while working in a part-time capacity.
Spence and former deputy EMA director Jarred Logan were both hired in March 2022 as part-time employees, with the understanding they would split duties within the department.
“Stewart is a part-time guy working full-time hours lately,” Washington acknowledged.
Supervisors also discussed whether to bring back Logan or open the position to applicants.
“He has proposed the idea of bringing one individual back,” Washington said. “But I like the idea of advertising it.”
Several supervisors said additional help is needed, particularly with oversight of the county’s 911 system.
“I think if we had one person that managed 911, the personnel and the whole 911 call center, to take that off of you, I think you could do the rest of it yourself,” Washington said.
Spence agreed the workload is significant.
“No other county that I know of, one person does this job,” he said.
District 2 Supervisor Ken Rogers said recent severe weather highlighted the need for support.
“He needs the backup right now,” Rogers said.
Supervisors ultimately settled on a compromise.
“Let’s go part-time, and maybe when October comes with the new budget we will consider going full-time with it,” Harris said.
District 3 Supervisor Kenny Harmon asked if that approach would work.
“Are you going to be all right if you have another part-time person?” Harmon said.
“As long as they understand it is not part-time work,” Spence countered.
The board then voted unanimously to advertise the position as part-time, with the option to revisit full-time status during the next budget cycle.
Spence said his priority will be finding a qualified candidate.
Applications for the position may be obtained from the Chancery Clerk’s Office at the Water Valley Courthouse and must be submitted by 9 a.m. Monday, April 6, 2026.
Other agenda items in the meeting included:
Insurance Renewal
Supervisors approved renewal of the county’s general liability insurance policy through the Mississippi Association of Supervisors Insurance Trust, with the annual premium set at $278,216.46, an increase of nearly $10,000 from last year.
DHS Building
Repairs
Supervisors agreed to move forward with repairs to the Department of Human Services building on Frostland Drive following significant water damage caused by an attic leak.
“The damage was coming from the attic,” one county official said. “It shot through the ceiling and through the wall. It knocked a hole through the sheetrock.”
Planned repairs include replacing damaged sheetrock, repainting the interior and updating flooring throughout the building.
“That paint is so old, I don’t know that you’d ever patch it,” the official said. “We figured on painting the entire interior.”
Supervisors also discussed replacing existing carpet with waterproof laminate flooring in office areas to improve durability.
Bids for the work ranged from approximately $69,000 to $76,000, with county officials indicating insurance is expected to cover most of the cost and FEMA may reimburse the deductible.
“Insurance has told us to go ahead and move forward with it,” the official said. “We may have to pay it out, but we should get all of it back.”
The discussion also returned to a long-standing issue of consolidating county offices, including relocating Child Protective Services from County Road 436 to the Frostland Drive building.
Supervisors expressed frustration with maintaining a separate facility for a small number of employees.
“What, three people in the whole building?” one supervisor said. “That just ain’t right.”
Another added, “It’d be financially just wasting taxpayer money.”
Some concerns were raised about placing Child Protective Services in the same building as other clients, particularly regarding privacy and safety.
“While we’re there working, can we make sure both sections are private from each other?” a supervisor asked. “Separate doors and everything like that.”
Supervisors agreed to move forward with repairs as bid, with any additional modifications to be considered separately, and to continue discussions with DHS officials about consolidating services.
New Stove
Extension Agent Pamela Redwine asked supervisors to consider replacing a decades-old commercial stove at the county’s Multi-Purpose Building, citing safety concerns and ongoing equipment failures.
“To the best of my knowledge, that stove has been there since the building opened about 24 years ago,” Redwine said. “It came from the old jail, so it’s probably around 35 years old.”
“The doors on the ovens don’t close tight, so you have to prop a chair in front of it to be able to cook anything,” she said.
Redwine said the issue became more apparent during Ice Storm Fern, when the building was used as a relief hub and one of the ovens failed.
“One of our ovens went out, so now we’re down to one oven,” she said.
She also noted the vent hood system may not meet current code.
Supervisors expressed agreement that the equipment needs to be replaced and asked for detailed pricing, including installation and options for a natural gas unit.
