What an insult....

I couldn’t attend the 30 Sep Board of Supervisors’ meeting due to contracting Whooping Cough. I have, however, received several phone calls about what happened. Apparently, Ken Murphree has been appointed the interim Tax Assessor/Tax Collector. I understand that all Supervisors except the supervisor from Beat 1 voted in favor of this action. To the Beat 2, Beat 3, Beat 4 and Beat 5 Supervisors, your actions on this matter are insulting.

Tunicans for Transparency in Government has questioned Murphree’s contract with the County from the beginning (Jun 2008). The first reason would be for employing him to be the liaison between the Board of Supervisors and the Mid-South Fair. (We pay a County Administrator to do this.) Once it was evident the Fair would not be located in Tunica County, the contract between Murphree and the County needed to be terminated. When Tunicans for Transparency in Government asked the Supervisors to do so, did the Board of Supervisors terminate this contract? No!!!

The second “job” given Murphree under this contract was to advise the Board on issues in the County. (We pay the Board of Supervisors and the County Administrator to do this.) Tunicans for Transparency in Government asked for and were given copies of the “claims” Murphree submitted in support of his $85 an hour fee. All that was noted on the claims Murphree submitted were the initials of county entities and organizations and the hours spent with each. When the Beat 1 Supervisor asked for a more detailed report, the Beat 3 and Beat 4 Supervisors argued in favor of Murphree NOT being put to the trouble of submitting a more detailed report.

With all of this uproar about Murphree, wouldn’t you at least take into consideration the people who put you in office and what they might think about your actions? Maybe we just don’t matter to the Board of Supervisors. Maybe it really is all about them and not about us. If Murphree is so hot and heavy to work for Tunica County, why did he leave in the first place? This appointment is a real slap in the face to the residents of Tunica County.