The Claims have been signed

What I understand to be true is this: The BOS's meeting on 6 Oct was recorded. Dunn voted no; Williams and Nickson voted yes. Employees and Claims are being paid. END OF STORY.

Employees are not getting paid...

And you know who is to blame? That would be Cedric Burnett. Read an earlier post on this blog about what went on at the 6 Oct 2014 BOS's Meeting and then come back here for an update and additional information. When I left the meeting for the Executive Session, I asked James Dunn if Claims were going to be brought up after the Executive Session. Dunn said yes. After the Executive Session, the meeting was about to be adjourned when Dunn was reminded he had not brought up the Claims. Then Burnett started his "in the room, out of the room" game that he thought was so funny. Burnett was out of the room when the vote was taken. The vote was Dunn: no; Williams and Nickson: yes. Burnett came back into the room and wanted his vote recorded as a no. Attorney Pittman informed Burnett at that time that he could not just say "I'm out of the room." So, Burnett's vote was put down as an abstention at the time of the vote. An abstention goes with the majority so Burnett's vote was recorded as a yes. This is the situation: THE VOTE WAS TAKEN WHEN BURNETT WAS OUT OF THE ROOM. THE VOTE WAS DUNN: NO; WILLIAMS AND NICKSON: YES. THE CLAIMS WERE VOTED TO BE PAID WITHOUT BURNETT'S VOTE WHETHER IT WAS A YES OR A NO OR WHATEVER ELSE HE WAS SAYING. WHY IS ANYONE LISTENING TO THIS BURNETT CLOWN? PAY OUR EMPLOYEES AND OUR BILLS. NOW!!!

9 Oct 2014 Meeting Canceled

The Board of Supervisors' Meeting that was announced for the above date at 9a, has been canceled. From what I have been told, our Sep claims will not be paid until after the BOS's Meeting on the 15th of this month. Here's what else I've learned: A claims docket was supposed to be prepared and sent via emial to the Supervisors on Friday before the Mon, 6 Oct meeting. As I understand it, this Docket was to be prepared under the supervision of the Comptroller. The docket was not prepared on time as was discovered Monday morning. The Supervisor from Beat 2 really needs to stay out of the Accounting Department. Just saying.

BOS Meeting Thursday, 9 Oct 2014 @9a

At the end of the BOS's Meeting on 6 Oct 2014, James Dunn was reminded that Claims had not been approved.

Present at the meeting were James Dunn, Cedric Burnett, Phillis Williams and Sonny Nickson.  Rev. Daley had left the meeting after the Executive Session.

It was at this time, that Burnett walked to the door and said he wasn't in the room.  Burnett walked out of the room.  Then he walked back into the room.

While Burnett was out of the room, a vote was taken with Dunn voting nay and Williams and Nickson voting yea.  When Burnett came back in the room he was told by Mr. Pittman that his vote was recorded as a yea because he was present and chose not to vote.  (This action was the same thing as abstaining.)

It seems Burnett doesn't like this and wants his vote entered as a nay.  So, he has spent today badgering for this meeting on Thursday so he can change his vote.

Seems to me this would set a precedent.  Anytime a Supervisor wants to change his or her vote they get another meeting called?

Let's see how this is going to work: We know that Rev. Daley can't vote on Thursday because he wasn't there during the original vote.  That leaves Dunn, Nickson, Williams and Burnett. 

Who is going to vote to not pay our bills?  That would be Burnett.  What happens if one or two Supervisors can't make the meeting or refuse to entertain this ridiculousness? 

Sports fans, the vote is over.  The Board Attorney told you what the result was at the meeting.  I wish you all could have been there.  Burnett was laughing and cutting up like this was some game to him and not serious business. 

When the meeting was over, I told him this was not funny.  Guess what he did?  He gave me the middle finger and everyone there saw it.  Clara, you must be so proud.

Claims and Operations

There were very few people in attendance tonight.  Are you all only going to attend Board Meetings when a tax hike is threatened?  Here is our report:

7 Oct 2014: Board of Supervisors’ Public Hearing Meeting @ 5p

Thank you for the appointment this evening.

We have 2 subjects on our presentation tonight.  The first is taken from the Aug 2014 Claims.  The second is about operations.

1. We’ve reviewed the Aug 2014 Claims and found the following:
1. See attached Excel chart (Note: Excel chart is on file in the Chancery Clerk's Office.)
2. Many items such as tires and supplies are being purchased in Memphis.  There are also several car companies listed in the Aug claims.  Are these MS companies or TN companies.  Can’t we buy MS first before helping to build the economy of TN?
3. There are two entries from the Excel chart that I would like to bring to the public’s attention.

                                                              i.      The first is for Vender 9165.  This vendor is Sam’s Club 4740.  There are 10 charges listed on this account.  The items that I find questionable are:

1.        $118.46 to the Jail for Interest Charges.

2.      $499.00 for an X-box for AOP.

3.      And a total of $1,128.42 charged to our Supervisors for a brown leather sofa, a coffee table, accent (gable?), 5x7 area rug, set of candle holders, furniture and office e. (Note: Have learned the department was miscoded in these charges.)

                                                           ii.      The second is for Vendor 1140.  This vendor is Memphis Pool Supply.  There are 8 charges listed on this account.  The items that I find questionable are:

1.       A total of $162.88 charged to the Jail for Slaw Mix, Cabbage, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes and Bananas.

2. There needs to be a serious discussion with the accounting department employee who is inputting this information.  If this same person is responsible for this, I will remind you that we have had quite a time getting information when requested through MS Open Records letters.  Just one of these items comes to mind now.  We are still waiting for the second Purchase Order and the list of names attached to the Gold Strike charges from 2011.
3. Operations:
1. We are presenting 2 requests for open records information. 

                                                              i.      The first was submitted on 8 Sep 2014 to Mr. McKay.  We have not heard back on this request.  Why is that?  Because we want to know who benefitted from the 2 $10,000 new home buyer loans?

                                                           ii.      The second is a new request that we are hand delivering to the County Administrator so that he may give the request to the correct party and may follow-up on the timely delivery of this information to the public.

2. Next, it has come to our attention that at least two of the Supervisors have interfered with the day-to-day operations of the Accounting Department.  It is my understanding that a Supervisor is prevented from doing this by law.  Further, it is my understanding that the only power you have as Supervisors is when you come together and have a quorum.  Mr. Pittman, is this correct? ( Note: Mr. Pittman said this was correct.)
3. One more thing in our report.  When the letter was read to hire Mr. McKay the last line of the letter said…”a good hometown boy.”  Now I’ve learned that Mr. McKay lives in Desoto County.  I’m not happy about being mislead like this.

What?!!!!

Where did anyone get the idea that I was in favor of cutting the Town of Tunica's percentage of the gaming revenue? I'm not in favor of cutting the Town of Tunica's percentage of the gaming revenue.

 If you had been attending Board of Supervisors' Meetings, you would know that. If you are spreading the rumor that I want to cut the percentage of gaming to the Town of Tunica, then you are guilty of spreading a lie.

What I am in favor of is going to the State Legislature and cutting some of the 12% of the gaming revenue that is mandated to the Tunica County School District. TCSD has 10M dollars in the bank. Let them live off that for awhile.

 I don't know about you but I am not pleased with the results of the money we have spent on the TCSD and I haven't been since we moved here 14 years ago. Why do we keep putting money into this school system and expecting different results?

 Now, here is what I am in favor of: I am in favor of putting some mils on the books for taxes within the Town of Tunica. Same thing is true in the Town as is true in the County. We've had a good run but now it is time to start contributing to the lifestyle we enjoy in our little Town.

WMCTV Video by Michael Clark

Below is the link to the WMCTV video by Channel 5's reporter, Michael Clark.

http://m.wmctv.com/wmctv/db/343865/gallery/FxA1XWHb

"You cannot not blame the previous Board for everything that's happening now.  This Board started off with about seven million dollars in the account.  Today there's probably two hundred thousand."

The current Board of Supervisors' came into office in Jan of 2012.  At this time, Burnett is stating that there was "about seven million dollars in the account."  On 17 Sep 2014, the current Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to put 15.77mils on the books for the purpose of servicing our debt.  Burnett was the nay vote.  These documents can be found in Book 153; pages 483-489.

Let's see what we have here:  Burnett is saying that in Jan 2012 "This Board started off with about seven million dollars in the account."  By 17 Sep 2014 the current Board voted in the 15.77mils to make our bond payments.  If the other members had not voted for the increase in millage we would have defaulted on our bonds and would have had to come up with 30 million dollars to pay the bonds.

We can no longer put up with this kind of craziness.  We must...MUST...replace this Supervisor in the next election.  Anyone who votes this man back into office because he has been your friend for so many years needs to rethink their vote.