6 Apr 2015 Board of Supervisors' Meeting

Last night at the BOS's Meeting, the Transparency Committee submitted a report.  Since the NCAA Championship was starting at 8p, I removed a good bit of the report to shorten the presentation and because I just didn't feel like getting upset with my Supervisor on game night.  Boy, was I wrong.  I should have presented the report as written.  Don't know about you, but I have had just about enough of the Beat 2 Supervisor's attacks on our County Administrator.

6 Apr 2015: Board of Supervisors’ Meeting @ 5p 

Thank you for the appointment this evening. 

We have a 2 subjects in our presentation tonight.    

The first item concerns the list of employees and their salary or rate of pay that was promised to be made a part of this Board’s Minutes for the past month and a half.  We are hoping that Mr. Oliver will complete this list soon.  Why is this important?  Aside from the public’s right to know, this is an election year and hopefully candidates will make themselves aware of this information. 

Secondly, there is another piece of information that would be helpful to the community.  I know several contracts have been renegotiated by the County Administrator.  Is it possible for you all to present a working list to the public as each contract is redone so that we can see the progress that is being made?  I would be happy to post these results on the Transparency Blog for everyone to see and perhaps the Tunica Times would do the same. 

This list could start with the ambulance service contract that has already been renegotiated.  The original contract was for $720,000 per year.  The County Administrator negotiated this contract down to $580,000 per year for a savings of $140,000 per year.  This is the same amount we are paying Mr. Thompson.

 

End of Report

 

What was removed from the report was an observation of the continued and outrageous and loud demand of the Beat 2 Supervisor calling for the termination of our County Administrator. 

 

Here's what I think:

 

1. The Beat 2 Supervisor has requested to fire the CA and make Rechelle Siggers and Adrian McKay Co-County Administrators.

 

This is what is wrong with this idea:  Siggers is an elected official with duties specified in the MS Code.  It is improper for an elected official to assign duties to another elected official. 

 

In McKay's case, he is the Comptroller.  If the reader will take the time to look at the audit exceptions in our Audited Financial Statements, you will find that control is lost when the Comptroller and the CA are the same person.   Tunica County has been guilty of this practice for many years.  Secondly, in the case of McKay, he has a degree in accounting.  He is not a CPA.  More then a few Tunicans either don't know the difference or think that this does not matter.  It does matter.

 

2. The Beat 2 Supervisor has requested the firing of the CA because he does not live here.  Really?  Well, neither do many other Tunica County employees; including McKay and the HR Manager Rev. Oliver.  And while we are on this subject, do not think some of us have forgotten that we don't believe you live here either.  Parking a car in front of your mother's property isn't fooling anyone.

 

3. Last night the Beat 2 Supervisor again requested the termination of the CA on the basis of including an invoice in the Claims when the invoice was not supported by a contract.  I can't even get my head around that one.  To my way of thinking if the invoice had not been laid on the Board Table, then the BOS would not be aware of the request for payment.

 

All in all, why is the gallery being subjected to these ridiculous outbursts from this Supervisor?  At almost every meeting he experiences some type of explosion.  Thank the good Lord and all of his Angels, we will not have to put up with this much longer.  As of 1 Jan 2016, Beat 2 will have a new Supervisor.  If it's not me, I am praying it is someone who will not think on the basis of rumors passed around in their circle of friends.  Beat 2 needs a Supervisor who is willing to make decisions on facts.

 

Bob and I just came back from lunch where we were told another untrue statement about how much we are paying the current County Administrator.  Here it is folks:

 

MICHAEL THOMPSON IS PAID $140,000 PER YEAR PLUS BENEFITS.  MICHAEL THOMPSON IS A CPA.  OUR LAST COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WAS PAID $136,OOO AND HE WAS NOT A CPA AND NEITHER WAS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BEFORE HIM.  PEOPLE GET PAID FOR THEIR EDUCATION AND JOB EXPERIENCE(S).

 

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE UPSET ABOUT OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S SALARY.  IF YOU ARE UNAWARE OF THE EDUCATION AND JOB EXPERIENCES THAT THOMPSON BROUGHT TO TUNICA COUNTY, ASK HIM.  OTHERWISE, PLEASE BE QUIET.  HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF A WHOLE GROUP OF PEOPLE DECIDED TO DISCREDIT YOU JUST BECAUSE THEY CHOSE TO DO SO?  DO UNTO OTHERS FOLKS.