"It's past time for Thompson to go"
Below is the entire Opinion with my comments highlighted in yellow and my notes highlighted in blue. Grab a coffee and take a seat...this is going to be a long one. By the way, how come neither Brooks nor Meg put their name to this opinion? All of us are required to do so. Just saying...here we go.
"This month, Michael Thompson is 'celebrating' one year as administrator for Tunica County. Yes, and one of his accomplishments is showing the public our broken tax structure. Past County Administrators and Boards of Supervisors failed to take action by adjusting our tax structure to keep pace with falling gaming revenues and property values. We have been living in a fool's paradise.
But we wonder if this anniversary of sorts holds any joy for him or if he wishes he had never heard of this place. Are you kidding me? Our Sheriff entraps him and many of our citizens are blaming him for our own misplaced trust and stupidity. I feel your pain Michael. Many folks in the white community hate me too and for the same reason: Telling the truth. You see Michael, it' okay for false arrests and entrapment to go on as long as it is not one of them.
Thompson's general demeanor in recent months, as county finances have steadily worsened, has changed dramatically. Where once he entered the meeting room smiling, laughing and greeting people in the gallery, now he sits glumly at his end of the Board table, offering the barest minimum of information only when called upon. Hmmm, this is not my observation.
Brought on as a consultant to conduct an independent audit of county departments and 'entities' two years ago, Thompson was suddently (suddenly) elevated to his current position last December 2, on what has come to be known in local circles as 'The Night of the Long Knives.' (Google Germany just prior to World War II.) Oh, please. Who is writing this stuff? Dick, is this you?
In that now-infamous December 2013 meeting, supervisors McKinley Daley and Henry Nickson linked up to carry out a coup. Along with a third supervisor, Phillis Williams, Nickson and Daley put forward and passed a motion to first dismiss county Board attorney Andy Dulaney while he was performing his duties during the meeting, and the county administrator Clifton Johnson. The replacement attorney, Ellis Pittman, and Thompson were waiting in the audience that night to be brought to the table by the 'Gang of Three," without benefit of resumes, interviews or anything that could be construed as normal business practice. Did it ever occur to you that perhaps Andy shouldn't have been serving as the BOS's attorney and the attorney for all of the other entities? Maybe there needed to be some division? The "Gang of Three" didn't remove Andy from any other board as far as I know.
Thompson's rise to power was the most astonishing, considering that he appeared out of no where onto the scene in August 2012. Despite repeated requests from this newspaper for background information, a resume' or credentials, Thompson has yet to produce anything for public consumption that would convince us that he has the knowledge, skills or experience to carry out his current county job. Hmmm, funny thing about that. Bob and I went to his office, asked the questions and got the answers. Why can't you do the same?
During the 16 or so months he was acting as an independent auditor, Thompson, to our knowledge, failed to make EVEN ONE written report of his activities or findings. Not true, PowerPoint presentations were made in the BOS's meetings and workshops. Sorry the reports were not in the format you demand. I feel sure if the reports had been written, you would have asked for a PowerPoint presentation because he was wasting paper.
We do know he began his review of county entities with the Tunica County Utility District and the Tunica Museum, before moving on briefly to the Tunic Convention & Visitors Bureau, whose Board ultimately refused to cooperate. Don't you find it a bit strange that some citizens can refuse to share financial information with other citizens? And just what is the CVB Foundation all about? To the best of our knowledge, he never, in his time as auditor, examined any county departments, despite his assurances to supervisor Phillis Williams in mid July and again in mid August that he would find cost savings during the county's budget process in August and September 2013. And the former County Administrator was so open to listening and including any cost saving measures? Yeah, right.
In the month after his sudden hiring. Thompson brought in finance consultant Alex Wiley to assist him. Thompson and Wiley apparently have a long professional and personal association and were soon seen frequenting local restaurants and traveling together back and forth to Memphis. This is just ridiculous. Don't most colleagues eat lunch together? I've never heard you say anything about other employees having lunch together. Wiley stayed on the county payroll for six months or so, his name appearing on the claims docket as late as July this year.
While Wiley was still on the payroll, supervisors filled the vacant position of county comptroller Adrian McKay, a Rosa Fort High School graduate and former resident. Adrian also graduated from Alcorn State University with a degree in accounting. It is unclear just how much influence McKay has exerted in his short tenure. On July 1, McKay stated in an open meeting that he had not had access to the revenue side' of the county's financial picture. You need to get your facts straight on this one. I believe you can remember this committee's recent report stating that $13M+ had yet to be entered into the system. Check the Public Records.
This information came out during one of supervisor Cedric Burnett's repeated requests to Thompson in open meetings for cash in the bank statements. Burnett even went so far as to make a records request under the Freedom of Information Act. To our knowledge, neither Burnett nor any other supervisor has received during Thompson's tenure, a cash in bank statement or report that could give the Board an accurate picture of the county's financial standing. Burnett is my supervisor and he needs to spend more time helping to fix the problems he helped to create then being spoon fed information. He can go to Michael's office and get anything he wants with which to make decisions. My supervisor is disruptive, lazy and not a team player. I have to ask, what else is he afraid will be found out?
Last August, the county leaders are normally deeply involved in budgeting for the coming year, this newspaper was told by reliable sources that Thompson was out of the county and away from his post for perhaps two weeks' time. Here we go..."reliable sources". Care to share? Consequently, the administrator and the Board bungled the entire budget process, failing to produce a coherent plan of action for the fiscal year that started October 1. Not true.
Based solely on Thompson's very tenuous verbal accounting of county finances, given on September 11, mere days before the statutory deadline to produce a final budget, the Board passed a substantial tax increase, without giving the tax paying public its statutorily guaranteed right to protest and despite ongoing challenges to the county's assessed valuations of the majority of the casino properties located here. Not true. It was different this year and actually an improvement. The County Administrator held workshops to inform the public and not a thing changed from the 2013 dates.
On October 10, Hollywood Casino lodged a formal appeal of the tax increase and budget process, now slowly making its way through the state's often snail-like judicial process. I'm interested to find out what the courts have to say about our budgeting process. Hollywood has a right to sue about the tax increase but our budgeting process? Oh well, we shall see.
Note: The next section contains 3 bullets. I am changing each bullet to a number for easier understanding.
Thompson's other accomplishments in his first year? Here are the highlights:
1. an ongoing dispute with the town of Tunica. After legislation to revise the formula that divides gaming tax revenue among the county general fund, the public schools and the sole incorporated town or city within Tunica County, the town of Tunica, failed last spring, the county acted on an earlier threat and sued the town and school district in late October, the county is currently illegally withholding November and December gaming tax money from the town, and it is believed, the school district. Let us say that again: the county is breaking state law and withholding the schools' and town's share of gaming taxes.
2. Tunica County has repeatedly jeopardized fire protection in its jurisdiction by failing to renew existing contracts that cover most of Tunica County. For nearly a year, county homeowners have been under threat of a significant increase in their property insurance rates perhaps as much as double what they are paying now. Please tell us when anyone was without Fire Protection in Tunica County. Yes, there were discussions and negotiations and a resolution.
In North Tunica County, where a special taxing district supports a paid fire department, declining tax revenues are forcing reductions in staff to risky levels, not only endangering the lives and property of those who live in the district but also failing to adequately protect casino visitors and employees. And what would you like Mr. Thompson to do about this? Print money? Perhaps this taxing district will have to increase what they are paying to cover the reduction in revenues.
3. In the biggest debacle for Tunica County, Caesar's Entertainment abruptly closed the county's largest resort property, Harrah's, throwing over a thousand people out of work, shuttering three hotels, a world class golf course, Cottonwoods, and the resort area's only true convention facility, and putting an end to a successful program of charter fights (flights) into Tunica Airport, flights which were drawing visitors from far outside the drive-up market.
And now you are blaming Mr. Thompson for Harrah's closing? Please. And as for the Airport? How about doing some investigative reporting on how many flights go in and out of Tunica Airport? Make sure you include the money Tunica has spent on this facility in your findings. Oh, and see if you can find a feasibility study that shows we needed or could support an airport. I've looked and asked and as far as I know there isn't a feasibility study. Who decided to build this facility anyway? Here we go again with the same answer: Former Boards of Supervisors and Former County Administrators did not make good decisions and did not do the necessary pre project work. And now the rest of us are left to figure out how to pay for all of these facilities. Do you have any ideas? Oh, yeah, your idea is to get rid of Mr. Thompson. And just how would that help? We would still be in the same mess we are in today.
Let's talk about Cottonwoods. Who was it who built a golf course to compete with River Bend and Cottonwoods? We did. Not Michael Thompson. It is way past time we, the citizens of Tunica County, take responsibility for the mess we are in and living beyond our means.
What is it you are really mad about? Could it possibly be that your "in crowd" did not find and approve Michael Thompson? Could it be that you supported the Sheriff's entrapment of Mr. Thompson and are disappointed he didn't leave then? Are you upset you didn't get enough signatures to stop the bridge loan for tax receipts? Are you still upset about the Museum?
Let's talk about the Museum for a bit. I support the existence of our Museum. What I don't support are all of these separate accounts held by all of these Component Units and I still want the County to take all accounting under it's roof. Do you happen to know that the Battle Arena just spent $10,000 for a separate audit? Why did they do that? With everyone and his brother out there spending money whenever they feel like it and for their own reasons, it is no wonder all purchase orders now have to be approved by the County Administrator.
Note: End of "bullets"....
Gaming revenues, already dipping, have declined significantly since Harrah's closure in June, leaving the county with even less revenue to support government services, tourism development and the creation of new manufacturing jobs that could help a local work-force that is now in double digits in joblessness.
"Now in double digits in joblessness?" We've been in double digits for a very long time. Below you will find the unemployment rates for Tunica, MS according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from Jan 2008 to Oct 2014. Both the Flood of 2011 and Harrah's closing have been indicated beside the appropriate month.
Jan 2008: 12.8%
Feb 2008: 12.4%
Mar 2008: 10.9%
Apr 2008: 8.5%
May 2008: 10.1%
Jun 2008: 9.1%
Jul 2008: 9.9%
Aug 2008: 9.9%
Sep 2008: 10.2%
Oct 2008: 9.5%
Nov 2008: 11.5%
Dec 2008: 15.4%
Jan 2009: 18.3%
Feb 2009: 16.3%
Mar 2009: 14.5%
Apr 2009: 16.3%
May 2009: 14.6%
Jun 2009: 12.8%
Jul 2009: 14.1%
Aug 2009: 13.7%
Sep 2009: 14.2%
Oct 2009: 13.1%
Nov 2009: 12.7%
Dec 2009: 17.00%
Jan 2010: 19.4%
Feb 2010: 19.8%
Mar 2010: 18.9%
Apr 2010: 16.4 %
May 2010: 17.1%
Jun 2010: 16.1%
Jul 2010: 18.0%
Aug 2010: 16.5%
Sep 2010: 15.4%
Oct 2010: 14.1%
Nov 2010: 16.1%
Dec 2010: 19.7%
Jan 2011: 21.3%
Feb 2011: 21.1%
Mar 20ll: 19.3%
Apr 2011: 17.8%
May 2011: 32.4% FLOOD
Jun 2011:20.6 %
Jul 2011: 18.2%
Aug 2011: 17.6%
Sep 2011: 15.4%
Oct 2011: 13.3%
Nov 2011: 13.0%
Dec 2011: 17.4%
Jan 2012: 18.6%
Feb 2012: 18.2%
Mar 2012: 15.9%
Apr 2012: 14.6%
May 2012: 15.9%
Jun 2012: 16.6%
Jul 2012: 16.0%
Aug 2012: 14.4%
Sep 2012: 12.6%
Oct 2012: 13.3%
Nov 2012: 13.3%
Dec 2012: 16.5%
Jan 2013: 20.5%
Feb 2013: 19.7%
Mar 2013: 16.7%
Apr 2013: 15.6%
May 2013: 14.3%
Jun 2013: 13.6%
Jul 2013: 12.6%
Aug 2013: 12.6%
Sep 2013: 11.9%
Oct 2013: 11.5%
Nov 2013: 10.1%
Dec 2013: 12.5%
Jan 2014: 17.2%
Feb 2014: 17.3%
Mar 2014: 15.5%
Apr 2014: 12.0%
May 2014: 13.4%
Jun 2014: 17.8% Harrah's Closed
Jul 2014: 18.2%
Aug 2014: 15.3%
Sep 2014: 13.1%
Oct 2014: 12.8%
Nov 2014:
Dec 2014:
This is going in the right direction? Who are we kidding? You said unemployment has dipped significantly since Harrah's closed. Hmmm, looks like that's not right either.
Just this week, supervisors approved five percent reduction in pay for county employees. Well, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. You are well aware that we have too many employees. Take a look at the Sheriff's Department and the Rec. There is no good time to cut wages or lay employees off. What suggestion do you have? How about this: The Stennis Report lists those employees who are overpaid, those who are right on target and those who are underpaid. Let's look at those who are overpaid. If you take the 10 highest employees and reduce their salaries to the MS Mean, we will save about $400,000 per year. Okay, that's my first suggestion. Your turn to come up with an idea.
By all accounts, it's too little, too late. I believe what is too little, too late is my supervisor voting no on everything when he voted yes on building all of this stuff. He can sit there and vote no until the cows come home and it won't change what he did in the past. The savings produced by this reduction is a mere $30,000 per month, according to Thompson's estimate Monday, not nearly enough to close the gap between a $1.3 million monthly payroll and gaming taxes to the general fund that have fallen below $1.2 million this month (again, according to Thompson on Dec.15.)
Need to remind you again, if former Supervisors and former County Administrators had recognized our broken tax system and made corrections along the way we would be better off today. This information was harvested by Mr. Thompson. Another piece of the puzzle. Taxes can't be increased fast enough to correct errors from the past.
Additionally, in the last couple of years and before Michael Thompson, I sent a letter to your newspaper stating that we had overbuilt and would not be able to keep up with our debt. I was questioning why all of these facilities were built without feasibility studies. The next week you all wrote that someone who had lived here for only about 10 years need not be criticizing others for their "vision". I didn't respond then but I will now. Those former decision makers made decisions that have us where we are today and whether you like it or not, two of those decision makers remain on the Board of Supervisors today. Talk about two people who need to be removed.
So, what is behind all of this? IMHO, there is a group of Tunicans who think they have all of the answers and just how dare someone else open their mouth. You really don't want people from other areas moving here. So, why not put up a big sign saying if you weren't born here, you are not welcome? Did you ever stop to think that just maybe these "outsiders" might be able to help?
It doesn't take a genius to see that with outgoing payroll and claims of $4 million this month and something less than that coming in (again, we're not sure, since no financials are available), we're in trouble. And it doesn't take a genius to make adjustments in taxes when revenue and assessed property values are going down. So, why did they and why can't you publicly recognize that.
And whether this is a run of really bad luck, poor governance, weak management or a combination of all these factors, the truth is that Michael Thompson is not cutting it as count administrator. I disagree.
It's time that Tunica County cut its losses and cuts him loose. And what will that get us?
Who knows? It might be a relief for all of us." Not to all of us.
The Tunica Times owes Michael Thompson an apology for all of the inaccurate blame you have attributed to him personally. This apology needs to be front page and above the fold. I will be waiting to see if you have the where withal to do it.
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