The newly-elected and re-elected Carroll County Board of Supervisors held its first meeting of 2020 Monday morning in Carrollton. The board welcomed new board member Josh Hurst, representing Beat 2, and new Chancery Clerk Casey Carpenter.
During the meeting, the board approved a three percent increase in supervisor’s salaries and all salaries falling under Senate Bill 2827. The bill also raised the pay of the county registrars, which is Circuit Clerk Durward Stanton, the tax assessor/collector, and coroner. However, Coroner Mark Stiles said, because he’s retired and falls under the 25 percent rule with PEERS, the law doesn’t apply to him.
The board also voted to hire Greg Wenger as the new Veteran’s Service Officer in a 4-0 vote with Supervisor Dill Tucker, not voting. Wenger was nominated for the position by Supervisor Josh Hurst.
Mike O’Neil was also nominated for the position, but it died for lack of a second, with the motion made by Supervisor Dill Tucker.
Also, the board:
• Appointed Rickie Corley as board president, Claude Fluker as vice-president, Kevin Horan as board attorney, Casey Carpenter as comptroller and deputy purchasing clerk, Rogan Jackson as assistant comptroller, Willis Engineering and Shane Correro as county engineer, Sherry Blaylock as purchasing clerk, Monica Jones as receiving clerk, and Durward Stanton as inventory control clerk and assistant receiving clerk.
• The board also approved Jake Hurst as fire coordinator. Hurst’s brother, Beat 2 Supervisor Josh Hurst did not vote. Hurst spread upon the minutes that he recuses himself from voting on anything dealing with Jake Hurst, personally and financially. However, Horan said Hurst could vote if the board purchased a new fire truck or fire equipment as long as it wasn’t pertaining to Jake Hurst directly.
• Approved to bond Carpenter, Josh Hurst, Justice Court Judge Tinesha Erve-Earnest, Southern District Constable Roshaun Daniels, and Deputy Jody Windham.
• Approved to re-employ all employees at the same rate of pay.
• Spread upon the minutes the hires of David Ward and Michael March to the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. March is the relative of Holmes County Sheriff Willie March. Sheriff Clint Walker said with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department chief deputy on staff at the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, March being related to Willie March, and a blood relative to Leflore County Sheriff Fredrick Banks on staff, he’s hoping to build upon working relationships with other sheriff’s.
“It’s something that we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Walker said.
He said he’s hopeful the sheriffs can all work together in some way.
Tucker said the relationship could mean catching whoever robbed the Dollar General in Black Hawk.
“That’ll help,” Walker said.
“Somebody has been tearing our Dollar General up. We don’t need that one to close,” Tucker said, with all supervisors in agreement.
“That’ll leave a black mark,” Corley said.
• The board also agreed that all garbage bills would be handled at the last meeting of the month. Anyone wanting to dispute a garbage bill must be placed on the agenda to do so.
• Approved to release a tag hold on a truck formerly owned by Mike Hunt. He said his daughter sold the truck, and the new owner can’t get a tag because of a garbage bill
